"IT IS NECESSARY TO BE ANTI-RACIST": RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST UNIVERSITY STUDENTS – AN ANALYSIS BASED ON GENDER

Abstract

Racial discrimination in Brazil, historically linked to the slavery past, remains present in various social spheres, including the university environment. This study aimed to analyze experiences of racial discrimination among university students based on the gender variable. The research, with a quantitative, descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional approach, was carried out between September and December 2023 with 829 students from five higher education institutions in Ceará. Data collection took place in a hybrid way, using an electronic form with sociodemographic questions and the Racial Discrimination Experiences Scale, validated in Brazil. Statistical analysis was performed using frequencies, means, standard deviation and Fisher's exact test, with a significance level of p < 0.05. The results revealed that 30.2% of women, 31.7% of men, 50% of non-binary and 100% of those who did not identify themselves reported experiences of racial discrimination, without statistical significance (p = 0.059). Discrimination when looking for a job was significant (p = 0.031), with a higher prevalence among non-binary (50%) and unidentified people (33.3%) compared to women (9.9%) and men (12.7%). Discrimination by the police or the judicial system showed a highly significant association (p = 0.001), affecting 11.9% of men, 4.8% of women, 25% of non-binary and 33.3% of the unidentified. An association was also observed between gender and the way of dealing with injustices (p = 0.013), with women (79.9%) and men (73.2%) reporting that they usually talk to other people about these experiences. Although concerns about racial injustice during childhood and adolescence were more reported by women (66.8%) than by men (59%), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.052). It is concluded that the intersectionality between race and gender influences exposure to discrimination, especially in institutional spaces, reinforcing the need for anti-racist public policies that promote equity and well-being for the black population in higher education.