The purpose of this research was to conduct a study on the sexual division of labor in management positions at Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (IF) throughout Brazil. In this sense, the objective is to trace the participation of women in strategic management positions within Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology in the regions and states of Brazil. Thus, supporting the discussion on the challenges faced by women in the process of entering the labor market gains greater relevance, considering that these challenges are significantly more complex compared to those faced by men. Women often have both domestic and professional responsibilities, which makes it harder for them to rise to and remain in leadership positions. This double burden imposes additional barriers, limiting their opportunities for professional advancement and increasing gender inequalities. In addition, they face a series of cultural obstacles that significantly contribute to their inequality in relation to men. This study is based on the disparities in access to positions of power between men and women, seeking to determine whether such inequalities persist in the educational field. Thus, the sexual division of labor in work contexts generates power relations that have compromised female representation in these spaces, considering the differences in privileges and working conditions between women and men. This research used secondary data collected from public and official sources available on institutional websites, made available in 620 Federal Institutes, rectory offices and registered campuses and divided into Brazilian regions and states, constituting 38 all Brazilian States and Federal Institutes, 02 Federal Centers of Technological Education (CEFETs), 22 technical schools linked to Federal Universities and Colégio Pedro II. These data were collected to understand the geographic and structural distribution of Federal Institutes in the country. The variables defined for this study were related to the sexual division of labor in leadership positions within Federal Institutes. Specifically, the positions of rectory, vice-rectory and campus directors were analyzed, and these variables were categorized as female and male. This categorization allowed for a detailed analysis of gender representation in these strategic leadership positions. The methodological approach of the research is qualitative and quantitative in nature, in which documents were analyzed and an electronic spreadsheet was created with data on the occupation of strategic positions in the IFs. The data analysis technique was performed using descriptive statistics. The study showed that, over the period analyzed, women in the IFs have made little progress in leadership roles and positions and that the number of men who assume leadership roles is still higher than the number of women.

Keywords: Sexual division of labor, public management, Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology.