Institutional violence in science

This week we commemorated November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. While the most explicit forms of male violence dominate the headlines, it is worth remembering that gender-based violence takes many forms, some more subtle but equally deplorable. Therefore, I want to mention the Manifesto of values by Women for Quantum (W4Q), which challenges us on how scientific and academic environments reproduce dynamics of exclusion and symbolic violence that render women invisible.

The manifesto connects with broader critiques of the workings of contemporary academia. The hyper-competitive pressure to publish in high-impact journals, institutionalized job insecurity, and dehumanized quantitative evaluation are all elements that not only harm women but also impoverish science itself. When the manifesto speaks of "liberating the community from microaggressions and degrading practices," it points to an ecosystem that expels talent and diversity.

Likewise, I believe it also connects with the demands of 25-N because, fundamentally, what it calls for is to end the patriarchal structures that organize science, that is, rigid hierarchies, aggressive competitiveness, models of authority based on domination and not on collaboration and generosity.

The signatories of the manifesto are established female scientists from around the world who have witnessed firsthand that the system is not working. They believe that current measures—quotas, mentorship programs, diversity conferences—are insufficient, as they do not alter the power structures or the values that guide scientific practice. They advocate for research based on genuine collaboration rather than fierce competition, and on trust and integrity rather than obsessively counting citations in scientific articles as a measure of excellence. They reclaim the etymological meaning ofauthority –from Latin augere, to grow – to oppose the concentration of power in the hands of a few.

What makes it unique is that it doesn't just denounce discrimination—microaggressions, harassment, the gender pay gap, the excessive workload—but proposes a cultural transformation that addresses the root of the problem. It calls for a redistribution of power, transparent and participatory decision-making, and the evaluation of not only results but also processes and diverse life trajectories. In short, it proposes a different way of doing science: more humane, more collaborative, more inclusive. And it warns that this change would benefit not only women, but all underrepresented groups and the entire scientific ecosystem.

Universities, research centers, and funding agencies must heed this outcry and drive real change. Because, as the manifesto states, cosmetic measures are no longer enough. What is needed is genuine change, and this change can only come from a profound rethinking of the values that underpin science.