Unconscious Bias and Perceived Discrimination by Tech Professionals in Brazil

Diversity and inclusion are essential drivers of innovation in software engineering, yet systemic inequalities and implicit bias persist as key challenges. By surveying 220 Brazilian tech professionals, this study aims to explore how inclusion and discrimination are perceived in the workplace. Findings reveal that 95.2% of women report experiencing sexism; 77.1% of non-white professionals identify racism as a key issue; 61.5% of disabled professionals report experiencing ableism. Despite widespread acknowledgment of discrimination, only 23% of respondents explicitly recognized the presence of unconscious bias in themselves. These results reveal persistent equity gaps and call for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) strategies in Brazil’s tech sector.