An international day for full access to science for women
Established by the UN, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science aims to promote women’s access to and full participation in scientific careers. It highlights a major challenge for our societies: ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to pursue a career in science, regardless of the gender stereotypes that continue to influence career choices.
In this context, Mines Paris – PSL is fully committed to this dynamic through its actions in favor of equality and diversity in science and engineering, through awareness-raising events, training, and dialogue between the academic world, students, and institutional partners.
Girls and Science Seminar
A collective to open up the field of possibilities
On Monday, January 19, 2026, the Île-de-France academic region organized the “Girls and Science” seminar, bringing together stakeholders from the world of education and higher education to analyze the persistent barriers to girls’ orientation towards scientific fields. Representatives from the Education Department and two students from the Education division of the FéMINistes! association at Mines Paris – PSL participated in this event dedicated to the fight against inequality.
As part of the academic priorities for gender equality and the Girls & Maths plan, the seminar was opened by Édouard Geffray, Minister of National Education, Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Space, Julie Benetti, Rector of the Île-de-France academic region, and Isabelle Prat, Deputy Rector for Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. One observation stood out: despite good academic results, girls remain underrepresented in mathematics, computer science, and engineering.
These disparities can be explained primarily by persistent gender stereotypes at every stage of the educational pathway. The Girls & Maths plan is therefore based on a network linking secondary education, higher education, and the socio-economic world to secure pathways, combat self-censorship, and support career choices, with a view to creating a fairer and more inclusive school system.
Conference: “Countering gender stereotypes in mathematics? “
Enlighten to transform
Held on Monday, January 26, 2026, as part of Prevention Month at Mines Paris – PSL, the conference given by Nathalie Sayac, inspector general, researcher, and co-author of the Girls and Math report, was a highlight in raising awareness of inequalities between girls and boys in scientific disciplines, particularly mathematics.
Research in education sciences and social psychology shows that the underrepresentation of women cannot be explained by a lack of aptitude or interest, but rather by social and cultural mechanisms. From elementary school onwards, mathematics is considered a masculine subject, fueling confidence gaps between girls and boys, even though their results are comparable. Teaching practices can reinforce gender differences, particularly through the distribution of speaking time.
There are several levers for action: combating self-censorship, training teachers to deconstruct stereotypes, changing guidance practices, and promoting female figures in science. These actions are part of the national Filles et Maths (Girls and Math) plan, which focuses on representations, teaching practices, and guidance pathways.
This conference, organized at Mines Paris – PSL, resonates with an institution where gender diversity and diversity issues are linked to excellence and innovation. It opened a space for dialogue between students and staff and reaffirmed the School’s commitment to training engineers with a view to inclusive and responsible science.
Women in Science and Future Engineers Days
From February 7 to 11, 2026, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie hosted the “Women in Science and Future Engineers” Days. Part of the annual program An Engineer, a Project, this event aimed to showcase the richness of engineering and experimental sciences, promote technical expertise, and encourage direct exchanges with committed professionals.
IC students took part in this event, led by Matthieu Mazière. As part of their engineering training, several students presented innovative projects designed using advanced design and programming tools: robotics, the environment, virtual reality, and more. These themes are directly relevant to the contemporary challenges facing businesses and research.
The audience was able to discover the projects carried out by the School and talk to those who conceived and implemented them, embodying the engineers of tomorrow.
