Focus on the "Girls, Math and Computing: A Luminous Equation" days

Focus on the “Girls, Math and Computing: A Luminous Equation” days

31 octobre 2022

Convincing young girls interested in mathematics and computer science that they are capable of pursuing scientific studies, and fighting against social stereotypes are the objectives of the “Girls, math and computer science: a luminous equation” days. These events are organized by the associations Femmes & mathématiques and Animath, with the help of the Blaise Pascal Foundation and are supported by the Ministry of Education.

Globally, studies show that working women are paid less, hold fewer leadership positions, and participate less in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

In engineering and digital schools, women make up an average of 20 percent of enrollment and hold only 29 percent of data science and AI positions, according to a 2019 Unesco report. In the same year, 80 percent of AI professors were men while 12 percent of AI researchers were women.

Nationally, in the 2017-2018 school year, there were 47% girls in science high school compared to 79.3% girls in literary high school, according to the French Ministry of Education. In higher education, in 2018-2019, there were 27.7% female students in engineering courses and 28.9% female students in Basic Sciences and Applications at university.

Fighting against social stereotypes

The Femmes et mathématiques association was founded in 1987 in response to the fact that there were few young women in technical and scientific fields, and few women in scientific professions, particularly in mathematics. It has set itself the challenge of remedying this state of affairs, bringing together some two hundred members, mainly mathematics teachers at various levels, but also students, sociologists, philosophers and historians interested in the issue of women in science.

It has the following objectives:

To encourage the presence of girls in mathematics and more generally in scientific and technical studies.
To act for parity in the mathematical professions and for the recruitment of more women in mathematics in universities.
To promote the participation of women in the mathematical community.
To sensitize the scientific and educational community to the issue of gender equality.
To be a meeting place for women mathematicians.

The partners of the “Girls, Math and Computing: a luminous equation” days.

To organize these days, which were launched in 2009, Femmes & mathématiques joined forces with Animath, an association created in 1998 whose goal is to promote a taste for and practice of mathematics among young people, and the Blaise Pascal Foundation. The latter, created in 2016 under the aegis of the Foundation for the University of Lyon, aims to support scientific mediation in mathematics and computer science, particularly for young people, girls and socially and geographically disadvantaged audiences.

The theater company “LAPS/morning team” has also been a partner of these days since their creation and offers a workshop on stereotypes based on a play-forum, first “Derived” and, since 2021, “Coded”.

Initially called “Filles & Maths : une équation lumineuse”, they have integrated computer science in 2020.

One-day program

During these face-to-face days, high school and middle school girls are hosted in a higher education and research institution for a day. Interested students are registered by their teachers to come in groups (maximum 20 per institution) or register to come individually.

Students interact with professionals from research, teaching and industry who use mathematics and computer science in their daily work. They learn about possible career paths in science and technology, and more specifically in these two disciplines. These meetings also lead them to reflect on the impact of stereotypes in their choice of career path and on the lack of gender diversity in the computer science and mathematics professions.

The activities are as follows:

– A mathematics or computer science lecture;

– Workshops on stereotypes and math and computer science careers;

– A “speed-meeting”: meetings in small groups with women technicians, teachers, researchers and engineers ….;

– A play by the company LAPS équipe du matin, entitled Codée. It deals with the social stereotypes of gender that women may be subjected to in the scientific fields, and is followed by debates and exchanges between students and actors.