Professors Get Death Threats for Research on Gender Issues

At least three professors at a university in Brazil and a student were threatened due to their research on gender division in the workplace, said the institution.

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In addition, a master's student in the same university, the Federal University of Bahia was also threatened, just days before the presentation of her thesis, her research is related to the sexual division of labor.

Joao Carlos Salles, dean of the university denounced the cases, most of them done through social networks. The official said these attacks follow a recent wave of conservatism in the country.

In his statement, Salles said he was against "oppression in the face of attempts to curtail an entire field of scientific knowledge production."

One professor, who the university won't reveal his name for protection, received death threats and had been previously threatened about a month ago.

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In addition to teaching, he is also a researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Women, Neim, a group of studies on gender and sexuality linked to Social Sciences.

"In recent episodes, we have witnessed death threats and other types of violence against one of our teachers, a researcher at Neim, an attempt to prevent the defense of a Master's dissertation from the Institute of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, which threaten the security of the University itself," the director of the university said.

According to the statement, the institution has taken all steps to ensure the safety of those involved and the conduction of the scientific research.