Debunking Hoaxes with Scientific Evidence of Social Impact on Gender Research
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in Article 27, states that everyone has the right to benefit from scientific knowledge. In this regard, sociological research on gender faces a great challenge. There are numerous hoaxes on gender issues that are undermining research in these areas and, consequently, the democratic foundations of our societies, as they hinder decision-making based on scientific evidence with social impact. These hoaxes, which foster anti-woke sentiments, also extend to contributions submitted to scientific journals for publication, when they are based on ideology rather than scientific evidence. This phenomenon threatens the rigor and scientific prestige of sociological research on gender.
Scientific works presented at the European Sociological Association RN33: Women’s and Gender Studies have contributed to raising awareness of this issue and providing scientific evidence for effective preventing and overcoming gender-based violence. The Social Impact Science Platform (SIS): Sappho, includes some of these contributions, with a co-creation approach. This is a science-based participatory tool to help citizens distinguish between science-based claims and gender hoaxes. This platform is also a tool for the scientific community to share their scientific evidence with the public. These virtual dialogues have made it possible to highlight those scientific publications that help debunk hoaxes and that provide scientific evidence of social improvements in the prevention of gender-based violence, feminism, sexual consent and masculinities, among other topics. Scientific journals seek publications based on scientific evidence, not hoaxes founded on ideology.
Our work as gender researchers can contribute to uniting efforts to eradicate hoaxes and anti-woke sentiments in gender research and publications by making visible our scientific evidence contributing to social improvements. These scientific and collaborative efforts strengthen the foundations of feminist scholarship and the democratic values of our societies.