Gender equality and good editorial practices policy

The Revista Médica de Risaralda acknowledges that, throughout the history of scientific production in health, androcentric biases and patriarchal structures have prevailed, limiting the participation, visibility, and recognition of women and individuals with diverse gender identities. In line with the institutional principles of the Technological University of Pereira and international guidelines on equity and inclusion in scientific research, the Journal is committed to promoting gender equality at all stages of its editorial work (1).
This commitment encompasses the composition of its editorial bodies, scientific committees, and review teams, as well as the adoption of inclusive language, equitable visibility of authorship, and the promotion of research that integrates a gender perspective within the field of health sciences.

During the editorial process, the Journal ensures that all individuals—authors, reviewers, editors, and readers—are treated with respect, equality, and without discrimination based on gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion, or social status. The Journal fosters balanced gender representation within its editorial committee and review teams, encouraging the active participation of women and non-binary individuals in the evaluation, leadership, and decision-making processes of scientific work. Moreover, reviewers will be assigned impartially, avoiding any bias stemming from personal, academic, or institutional relationships (2).

The Revista Médica de Risaralda particularly values manuscripts that incorporate sex as a biological variable and, when relevant, gender as an analytical category within their research methodologies, analysis, and presentation of results. This approach seeks to strengthen the generation of differentiated evidence that contributes to understanding health inequalities and developing more equitable public policies, programs, and clinical practices. The Journal also promotes the use of updated references that highlight women’s contributions to medical research and include gender-based studies, recognizing the essential role of these contributions in building scientific knowledge (3).

For manuscripts prepared by research teams, the Journal recommends fostering gender parity and equitable participation among all contributors throughout the research process. Articles should reflect respectful, collaborative working relationships grounded in non-violent communication. At the time of publication, all authorships must be clearly identified with names and institutional affiliations, without omissions or implicit hierarchies that devalue any person’s contribution. This principle of transparency aims to strengthen trust in scientific production and ensure fair recognition of each team member’s contribution (4).

Language used in scientific texts is a fundamental tool for promoting equity. Therefore, the Revista Médica de Risaralda encourages authors to use inclusive, non-sexist language and to avoid the generic masculine when referring to mixed or diverse groups. Whenever possible, expressions should be used that make all individuals visible and reflect the diversity of the scientific community. This recommendation follows the guidance of specialized publications such as the Guide to Non-Sexist Use of Spanish Vocabulary by the University of Murcia (5), the Building Equality through Words manual by the Pablo de Olavide University (6), and Notes for Equality by the University of Alicante (7).

Likewise, images, figures, and visual materials included in articles or institutional communications should represent gender diversity in a balanced way, avoiding the reproduction of stereotypes or traditional roles associated with the field of health. Consistency between language, images, and content reinforces the Journal’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable science.

The Revista Médica de Risaralda will periodically assess the implementation of this policy by collecting indicators on the participation of women, men, and non-binary individuals as authors, reviewers, and editors. These data will help identify potential gaps and guide continuous improvement strategies. The results of this monitoring will be published in the Journal’s annual reports, consistent with the principles of transparency and accountability of the Technological University of Pereira (8).

Finally, the Revista Médica de Risaralda reaffirms its commitment to actively contribute to the cultural and scientific transformation necessary to eliminate historical inequalities in knowledge production. Promoting gender equality not only strengthens editorial ethics and scientific quality but also fosters the creation of a more diverse, just, and representative academic community (9).

References

  1. Ciencia Nueva, Revista de Historia y Política. Policy on Good Editorial Practices in Gender Equality [Internet]. Technological University of Pereira; 2023 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://revistas.utp.edu.co/index.php/historia/igualdad-de-genero

  2. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers [Internet]. COPE; 2017 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://publicationethics.org/files/Ethical_Guidelines_For_Peer_Reviewers_2.pdf

  3. García-Calvente MM, Jiménez-Rodríguez ML, Martínez-Morante E. Guide to Incorporate the Gender Perspective into Health Research. Andalusian School of Public Health Monographs Series No. 48 [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://www.easp.es/?wpdmact=process&did=NzIuaG90bGluaw==

  4. National Institute of Statistics of Chile. Methodological Guide to Incorporate a Gender Approach in Statistics [Internet]. INE; 2015 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://www.mop.cl/GIS/Documents/Guia_metodologica_genero_en_las_estadisticas_INE_2015.pdf

  5. University of Murcia. Guide to Non-Sexist Use of Spanish Vocabulary [Internet]. Murcia: University of Murcia; 2019 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://www.um.es/documents/2187255/2187763/guia-leng-no-sexista.pdf/d5b22eb9-b2e4-4f4b-82aa-8a129cdc83e3

  6. Office for Equality. Building Equality through Words: Recommendations for Inclusive Language Use [Internet]. Seville: Pablo de Olavide University; 2014 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://www.upo.es/cms1/export/sites/upo/upsc/igualdad/documentos/guia_lenguaje_no_sexista_como_libro.pdf

  7. Provencio-Garrigós H, Esteve-Vidal R. Notes for Equality. Topic IV: Guide for Non-Sexist Language Use at the University of Alicante [Internet]. Alicante: University of Alicante; 2020 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: http://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/109624

  8. Publindex. Manual of Good Editorial Practices for Colombian Scientific Journals [Internet]. Colciencias; 2022 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/publindex

  9. World Health Organization (WHO). Integrating Gender Perspectives in Research and Health Programmes [Internet]. WHO; 2020 [cited 2025 Nov 12]. Available from: https://www.who.int/gender-equity-rights/knowledge/integrating-gender-perspectives/en/