The 21st century is marked by polarized societies, where autocracy emerges as a growing challenge, exacerbating socio-political divisions and threatening democratic stability. In this context, this panel will explore the role of public policies—educational, technological, and gender-focused—as contradictory tools that can both bolster democratic resilience and strain policies, thereby weakening institutions in Brazil. Public policy formulation becomes an arena of tensions, often obstructing efforts to combat inequalities and strengthen democratic institutions, especially in a country like Brazil, subordinated to the global economic system.
In the realm of science and technology policies, the panel will examine the process of building technological and productive autonomy, emphasizing the allocation of investments as a tool to consolidate institutions, enhance transparency, and foster scientific and technological development. These elements are presented as fundamental to strengthening democratization processes and addressing the country’s structural challenges.
Additionally, affirmative actions in technological and higher education, seen as critical instruments for addressing socio-historical inequalities and ensuring access and retention for Black students, have made significant advances but continue to face resistance. Such measures are often contested by perspectives rooted in racist and authoritarian structures, which reinforce exclusion and limit the reach of these initiatives. Successive governments, under the guise of expanding higher education, have implemented public policies that transfer public funds to private universities. Programs like Prouni and FIES have consolidated national higher education oligopolies, creating contradictions that may hinder greater public investment to drive the social changes Brazil urgently needs.
The discussion will also address gender-focused public policies, often instrumentalized to deepen social polarization, undermining democratic cohesion and suppressing women’s fundamental rights. In autocratizing scenarios, these discourses are used to justify policies that block progress in gender equality, perpetuating structural inequalities and reinforcing exclusionary societal norms.
This panel will articulate reflections on the intersection of public policies, social justice, and democratic resistance, contributing to the development of strategies to promote democracy in times of polarization and regression.
