23 high schools, 3,000 students, 1 objective: break gender stereotypes
This year, La Rotonde is leading the programme ” Girls in science? Of course! “, a scheme deployed in 23 high schools in the Loire region to encourage young girls to consider a scientific career.
“ We engage with students to dismantle preconceived notions and concretely demonstrate that science and technical professions are open to all. The spark often comes from an encounter: by involving female professionals and students, we give full voice to women and share real career paths, with their successes as well as their challenges, so that more high school girls feel legitimate. This is also a crucial issue for the region, which needs engineering and innovation talent and cannot afford to lose half of its potential vocations. “
Jeanne-Marie Mas, project manager and deputy director of La Rotonde
From February 23 to April 3, 2026, students will be invited to share and discuss their vision of science and technical professions, as well as to deconstruct gender stereotypes. Mediators, research-professors, students, and professionals will also be present to encourage them to consider scientific studies and break the glass ceiling.
Deconstructing stereotypes and encouraging students to take an interest in science, Jeanne-Marie Mas discusses this in her interview on TL7: https://www.tl7.fr/replay/le-jt_1.html. She reminds us that the proportion of women is still too low in engineering schools, even though we know that diversity is a source of innovation.
In total, 30 professionals from partner institutions — researchers, teachers, doctoral students, technicians, or engineers — have decided to get involved in the scheme, demonstrating their commitment to concretely opening these fields to more young girls. A true collective movement from Mines Saint-Étienne and its Center for Industrial Scientific and Technical Culture, as well as from Jean Monnet University, ISTP, and Centrale Lyon ENISE, with whom we are in partnership.
