Excellence with passion
“Campus au féminin”: raising girls’ awareness of scientific careers
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On Thursday, February 6 and Thursday, March 13, 2025, ISAE-SUPAERO welcomed nearly 250 middle and high school girls from schools in Toulouse and the Occitanie region for the “Campus au féminin” day.
The aim of the event was to raise young women’s awareness of the engineering professions through a variety of workshops.
Supported by the Institut OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO’s diversity program and the ISAElles student club, this day reflects the commitment of ISAE-SUPAERO and its Foundation to equal opportunities.
Inspiring workshops to discover the engineering professions
The 250 middle and high school girls present on the campus on February 6 and March 13, from schools in the Toulouse and Montpellier academies, had the opportunity to discover the engineering profession alongside women with scientific backgrounds through three workshops: women’s careers, deconstructing stereotypes, laboratory visits.
For Fatia, a second-year student at Lycée Jules Fil in Carcassonne, “it’s a great idea to see the careers of other women who’ve made it this far. All the women we’ve met have done some pretty exceptional things! It’s inspiring and motivating!
The workshop on deconstructing stereotypes, organized by the Femmes&Sciences association, enabled participants to tackle gender clichés and discuss these stereotypes with the women scientists.
The girls also had the opportunity to see science up close, thanks to a tour of the Institute’s laboratories: flight simulator, drone aviary, neuro-ergonomics center, Aérothèque, Fablab Innovspace, etc.
Women scientists and students involved in the day
Female engineers, researchers, and students from ISAE-SUPAERO were on hand to inform young students about engineering careers, encourage them to pursue their dreams, and address some obstacles they may encounter when choosing their career path.
Ines Belgacem, godmother of OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO and a scientist at the European Space Agency, recalls the primary objective of this event: “The idea is not to push young women into science, whether they like it or not, but to give them all the information they need. Because we know that girls aren’t as keen on science as boys, and that they don’t necessarily have access to information in the same way. For me, information is the key to everything! She encourages them: “Get as much information as you can, take advantage of every opportunity, like “Campus au féminin”, so that, whatever decision you make, it’s one you want to make and not one you have to make.”
Angélique, a 2019 graduate of ISAE-SUPAERO and engineer at Dassault Aviation, who also attended the event, emphasized the importance of raising awareness among young girls as early as possible: “the fact that there aren’t many women in scientific fields, it starts very early, and it’s not so much at recruitment that something can be done or in higher education, but much earlier in middle school and high school when they choose scientific fields, where the gap is already widening at that point. ”
The Occitanie region, Toulouse Métropole and the Académie de Toulouse were there!
Nicole Escassut - Regional Director for Women’s Rights and Equality
Julie Escudier - Vice-president of Social Cohesion and Inclusion at Toulouse Métropole - Deputy Mayor for Women’s and Men’s Equality
Eléonore Tempier - Academic referent for “Cordées de la réussite” - Académie de Toulouse
Valérie Arlaud - Academic referent for equality between girls and boys - Rectorat de l’Académie de Toulouse
Students at the heart of the organization
“Campus au féminin” is also, and above all, the remarkable involvement of the Institute’s students, coordinated by the OSE program team, notably through the ISAElles student association, which encourages young women to take up science and deconstructs gender stereotypes.
Sascha Eydieu, a student and member of the ISAElles board, explains her role in the organization of the day: “I’m in charge of communications with students, part of the organization of the various events and the recruitment of volunteers. In concrete terms, this involves managing the day’s planning and preparation, and organizing meetings with volunteers. I also take part in meetings with the OSE team at ISAE-SUPAERO, to ensure that the various stages of the event are properly monitored.”
A flagship event in ISAE-SUPAERO and its Foundation’s commitment to equal opportunities
Launched in 2016, these days are the fruit of a collaboration between OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO and the ISAelles club. They reflect the commitment of the Institute, its equal opportunities program and the Foundation to intensify initiatives aimed at encouraging young girls to go into higher education and scientific fields.
This event is also part of a wider program: the “Campus au féminin” (Female Campus) project, in which groups of 10 schoolgirls are accompanied by a pair of female engineers and an ISAE-SUPAERO student. The main aim is to create a special link between high school pupils, female students and female engineers.
