  Context. Women remain significantly underrepresented in software engineering,
leading to a lasting gender gap in the software industry. This disparity starts
in education and extends into the industry, causing challenges such as hostile
work environments and unequal opportunities. Addressing these issues is crucial
for fostering an inclusive and diverse software engineering workforce. Aim.
This study aims to enhance the literature on women in software engineering,
exploring their journey from academia to industry and discussing perspectives,
challenges, and support. We focus on Brazilian women to extend existing
research, which has largely focused on North American and European contexts.
Method. In this study, we conducted a cross-sectional survey, collecting both
quantitative and qualitative data, focusing on women's experiences in software
engineering to explore their journey from university to the software industry.
Findings. Our findings highlight persistent challenges faced by women in
software engineering, including gender bias, harassment, work-life imbalance,
undervaluation, low sense of belonging, and impostor syndrome. These
difficulties commonly emerge from university experiences and continue to affect
women throughout their entire careers. Conclusion. In summary, our study
identifies systemic challenges in women's software engineering journey,
emphasizing the need for organizational commitment to address these issues. We
provide actionable recommendations for practitioners.
