Women’s Empowerment Initiatives in Brazilian Universities…
441
in the dynamics between theoretical knowledge and practical constructions (Sousa
2010; Dias 2009).
In extension programs, the students present themselves as “subjects of change,
capable of placing themselves in the world with an active and critical posture” (Castro
2004, p. 14). In addition to that, the extension, by covering the internal and external
community of the university, allows all agents to be able to exchange knowledge
widely, which would not happen only in the classroom.
Thus, deconstructing stereotypes and false dichotomies and moving towards
equality of rights and gender equity are indispensable conditions for those who envision a democratic and citizen society (Prá and Epping 2012). It is in this context that
this study utilizes two initiatives to demonstrate the role of universities in promoting
sustainable development through the education and empowerment of women, which
are presented and reflected on in the following two sections.
4.2 The Maternal-Child and Family Care Program (MCFCP)
As explicit above, there is a need for the empowerment of women in society at all
levels to achieve greater access to equal rights, health, education, politics and job
opportunities. In this context, the Maternal Child and Family Assistance Program
was created. This extension program of the University of the Extreme South of Santa
Catarina (UNESC) seeks to assist pregnant women and their families, within a socialcommunity perspective, through group activities, in an interdisciplinary proposal
(Amorim et al. 2018).
Among the actions of the program, it offers primary care to families through
educational actions, support groups, physical activity (which includes aquatic physiotherapy and the use of the Pilates Method) and nutritional guidance through the
“Healthy Kitchen” project. It also prepares women for childbirth and offers home
visits to families. MCFCP stands out due to its interdisciplinary work proposal. The
program includes professionals from the areas of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Nutrition
and Psychology, with the possible participation of other areas of health knowledge
such as Dentistry, Pharmacy and Medicine. The team is made up of 3 professors, 4
scholarship students and 9 UNESC volunteer scholars (UNESC 2019).
For the university extension programs to contribute to the training of more humane
professionals, it is necessary to carry out actions and interventions on different fronts
that contribute to the healthy development and adoption of positive practices. In the
case of the MCFCP program, it promotes, mainly for pregnant women and their
families, multidisciplinary care, within the biopsychosocial framework. The idea is
to decentralize obligations, whether personal, psychological or educational, in the
process of welcoming a child, shifting the responsibility from only the mother to the
family (UNESC 2019).
The MCFCP program highlights that the main focus is low-income families due
to the philanthropic nature of UNESC and the Organic Law on Social Assistance.
Thus, meetings are organized every two weeks involving students, teachers and the
441
in the dynamics between theoretical knowledge and practical constructions (Sousa
2010; Dias 2009).
In extension programs, the students present themselves as “subjects of change,
capable of placing themselves in the world with an active and critical posture” (Castro
2004, p. 14). In addition to that, the extension, by covering the internal and external
community of the university, allows all agents to be able to exchange knowledge
widely, which would not happen only in the classroom.
Thus, deconstructing stereotypes and false dichotomies and moving towards
equality of rights and gender equity are indispensable conditions for those who envision a democratic and citizen society (Prá and Epping 2012). It is in this context that
this study utilizes two initiatives to demonstrate the role of universities in promoting
sustainable development through the education and empowerment of women, which
are presented and reflected on in the following two sections.
4.2 The Maternal-Child and Family Care Program (MCFCP)
As explicit above, there is a need for the empowerment of women in society at all
levels to achieve greater access to equal rights, health, education, politics and job
opportunities. In this context, the Maternal Child and Family Assistance Program
was created. This extension program of the University of the Extreme South of Santa
Catarina (UNESC) seeks to assist pregnant women and their families, within a socialcommunity perspective, through group activities, in an interdisciplinary proposal
(Amorim et al. 2018).
Among the actions of the program, it offers primary care to families through
educational actions, support groups, physical activity (which includes aquatic physiotherapy and the use of the Pilates Method) and nutritional guidance through the
“Healthy Kitchen” project. It also prepares women for childbirth and offers home
visits to families. MCFCP stands out due to its interdisciplinary work proposal. The
program includes professionals from the areas of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Nutrition
and Psychology, with the possible participation of other areas of health knowledge
such as Dentistry, Pharmacy and Medicine. The team is made up of 3 professors, 4
scholarship students and 9 UNESC volunteer scholars (UNESC 2019).
For the university extension programs to contribute to the training of more humane
professionals, it is necessary to carry out actions and interventions on different fronts
that contribute to the healthy development and adoption of positive practices. In the
case of the MCFCP program, it promotes, mainly for pregnant women and their
families, multidisciplinary care, within the biopsychosocial framework. The idea is
to decentralize obligations, whether personal, psychological or educational, in the
process of welcoming a child, shifting the responsibility from only the mother to the
family (UNESC 2019).
The MCFCP program highlights that the main focus is low-income families due
to the philanthropic nature of UNESC and the Organic Law on Social Assistance.
Thus, meetings are organized every two weeks involving students, teachers and the