Girls in France are a lot less inclined than boys to pursue scientific fields of research, and that is partly due to persistent gender stereotypes. But different elements additionally come into play. These explanations are based mostly on a survey by the Chair for Women’s Employment and Entrepreneurship at Sciences Po.
How can we appeal to extra women in France to increased training in science and know-how? For a number of years, public authorities have been supporting initiatives aimed toward selling gender range in these fields of research, the latest being the “Girls and Maths” motion plan, launched by the ministry of nationwide training, increased training, and analysis in May 2025.
There are two major causes behind these initiatives. On the one hand, the intention is to cut back gender inequalities in the labour market, significantly the pay hole. On the opposite hand, the target is to help financial progress in promising fields by coaching extra individuals who can contribute to innovation in strategic sectors of exercise.
Different selections
The variations in orientation between women and men stay very marked firstly of upper training. This is obvious from the alternatives made by highschool seniors on Parcoursup, the French platform for accessing post-baccalaureate programmes, as may be seen in the next graph based mostly on knowledge made out there on Datagouv. It represents the number of applications for the most well-liked programs of research (extra than 4,000 functions).
Fourni par l’auteur
The factors above the diagonal symbolize programmes with a predominance of male candidates, whereas these under symbolize programmes with a predominance of feminine candidates. Men account for roughly 70% of candidates to science and know-how programmes, together with STAPS (science and know-how of bodily training and sports activities).
The major exceptions concern programs in life and earth sciences, for which there are extra feminine candidates. Programmes in economics, administration, and enterprise (in blue) have a tendency to be extra combined. Finally, programmes in well being, humanities, social sciences, literature, languages, and humanities (in purple) are primarily favored by women, who account for round 75% of candidates.
Certain elements that will clarify these variations in research selections, in explicit the role of gender stereotypes, differences in academic performance in science subjects, and self-confidence, have already been analysed.
Passion as a figuring out issue
In order to higher perceive the present causes for the variations between women and men in increased training selections, the Chair for Women’s Employment and Entrepreneurship at Sciences Po performed a survey in partnership with Ipsos in February 2025 amongst a consultant pattern of the coed inhabitants in France, with a complete of 1,500 responses. The results of this survey had been printed by the Observatory of Well-Being of the Centre for Economic Research and its Applications (Cepremap).
One of the putting findings of the survey considerations the variations between women and men in the significance they connect to ardour as a figuring out issue in their increased training selections.
Significantly extra feminine college students select programs associated to their passions, and so they appear to achieve this absolutely conscious that these selections might penalise them afterward in the job market. In reality, 67% of women (in contrast to 58% of men) say they “prefer to study a subject they are passionate about, even if it does not guarantee a well-paid job”, whereas 33% of women (in contrast to 42% of men) say they “prefer to get a well-paid job, even if it doesn’t guarantee that they will study a subject they are passionate about”.
Women who prioritise ardour are extra likely to enrol in arts and humanities programmes, whereas those that want a well-paid job are extra likely to enrol in economics, enterprise, and commerce programmes, or in science and know-how programmes.
The position of oldsters
Furthermore, the survey outcomes spotlight the truth that mother and father are extra influential in figuring out their sons’ academic selections than their daughters’. In reality, feminine college students obtain extra help from their mother and father, no matter their chosen subject of research, whereas male college students are less likely to obtain their mother and father’ approval, significantly for fields of research that lead to less profitable careers in the job market (eg humanities, social sciences or arts) or which have turn into feminised (eg legislation or well being).
Paradoxically, the dearth of parental affect on ladies’ selections might clarify why they are extra likely to comply with their ardour, discovering themselves more constrained in the job market afterward.
The outcomes additionally present that preferences developed for various topics in secondary faculty account for extra than half of the variations between women and men in their increased training selections.
Women seem to have extra various tastes, with a choice for arithmetic accounting for less than a small half (round 10%) of the distinction in research selections. This partly explains why women have a tendency to draw back from science and know-how programs of research, which can be perceived as requiring them to surrender different topics they take pleasure in. More men than women loved solely science topics in secondary faculty (29% of male college students in contrast to 14% of feminine college students).
Multidisciplinary programmes and position fashions
If the French financial system wants extra women with levels in science and know-how, how can we appeal to them to these fields? The major problem lies in conveying a ardour for science and know-how to women.
This may be achieved by way of role models, corresponding to high-achieving individuals who share their enthusiasm for his or her self-discipline earlier than college students make essential selections. This can even contain the event of multidisciplinary programs that mix science, social sciences, and humanities, in order to supply younger women (and younger men) with various pursuits the chance to pursue scientific research with out giving up different fields.
Finally, science programmes can adapt their academic choices to make educating extra engaging to feminine college students. By highlighting how science and know-how can contribute to the frequent good and tackle the challenges of up to date societies, a reformulation of course titles can, for instance, spotlight points that are vital to them.
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