Exhausted Women: On Discomfort and Practice of Science in Contemporary Times

Abstract

The exhaustion faced by academics served as the starting point for this special issue – edited, written, and reviewed exclusively by cis and trans women. We understand exhaustion as a consequence of historical and daily battles for gender equality, aggravated by the burden of reproductive work. Thus, even when exhausted, we accepted this challenge out of the conviction of the political role necessary to open spaces in the face of a masculine logic of science production. This editorial was structured based on recognizing the importance of producing, identifying, and living with the challenges necessary to disrupt oppression. These challenges come in the form of (1) bringing together female editors, authors, and reviewers from different regions, academic backgrounds, and diverse representations; (2) time, which revealed itself as an instrument of domination and gender violence; (3) the operationalization of the contradiction in producing an edition exclusively for women, considering the male logic of practicing science. This edition should be read as a pedagogical instrument to visualize the challenges experienced, and it is a call for collective responsibility in the fight to create space in everyday life, specifically in the academic field. Finally, if we are to combat injustices, we must provoke daily discomfort, and this edition set out to do just that.

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