INDIGENOUS WOMEN: EXPERIENCES ON GENDER AND INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Objective. To describe educational experiences related to gender issues and inclusion of indigenous women in higher education. Methodology. The research was guided by an approach based on qualitative case study methodology. Results. The determinants associated with educational inclusion are: professors' attitudes towards the indigenous students, the implication of the family in their studies, the support of the peer group, the tenacity and personal commitment to succeed. Conclusions. The students emphasize that there are some professors who are able to make learning meaningful and who value the diversity of democratic strategies in the classroom. Nevertheless, an hegemonic, dominant and colonizing thought that has serious implications on the educational process prevails. The most relevant forms of exclusion are racism, devaluation of the culture and knowledge of the indigenous students, and their non-recognition because of ethno-racial issues.