Ocean Equity: Unveiling Gender Opportunities and Challenges in Brazil's Ocean Literacy Activities

Amidst global discussions on the 'science we need for the ocean we want' which promotes transformative, participatory, and interdisciplinary science, ocean literacy has emerged as a central theme for the impact of science and societal engagement. Therefore, it is essential that actions promoting ocean literacy prioritize and foster gender equity and its intersections as fundamental pillars for a just, sustainable, and equitable future for all. The underrepresentation of women in ocean science careers and the professional barriers they face, both globally and in Brazil, are already widely recognized in the scientific community. These include difficulties in hiring and career advancement, harassment, lack of support during motherhood, lower publication rates compared to men, and consequent lack of funding. These barriers reinforce gender biases in the scientific community that are deeply rooted due to historical and structural prejudices. The Ocean Decade and the 2030 Agenda have been fostering and discussing the importance of international cooperation and targeted investments to overcome these barriers, as well as the need to prioritize public policies that actively promote women's participation at all levels of ocean research and governance. The lack of disaggregated gender participation data in ocean science and data indicating the absorption of human resources beyond academia hinder the implementation of these policies, highlighting the urgency of creating an environment that values and promotes the participation of girls and women, aiming to achieve a just and egalitarian society, both nationally and globally. In this chapter, we address the challenges related to promoting gender equity from the perspective of initiatives on ocean literacy for the Ocean Decade carried out in Brazil, as well as exploring the opportunities these actions offer to promote gender balance. We also highlight the good practices promoted and co-constructed by the Maré de Ciência Program and its partners in the country, including the participation of girls and women in ocean literacy activities. Using a methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative data, we provide a comprehensive view of female representation in these actions, such as in the Ocean Decade Planning Workshops in Brazil that resulted in the National Plan for the Implementation of the Ocean Decade, the Blue School Brazil Program, the Ocean Olympiad, the Ocean Youth Ambassador Forums, and actions carried out in vulnerable communities in the city of Santos/Brazil. This abstract will provide valuable data and discussions on the intersection between gender equity, ocean literacy, and ocean science, demonstrating the importance of promoting an inclusive and diverse approach to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, with special attention to SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), and 14 (Life Below Water).