Initiatives
to promote women in engineering

The EPF Gender Equality Committee brings together all EPF campuses. Each month, it leads and coordinates the initiatives set out in the roadmap for young women, with the aim of promoting STEM
and supporting female students throughout their studies. This committee organises events, such as those held on International Women’s Day, to raise awareness and mobilise the EPF community around gender equality issues.

It contributes to the award of labels and prizes, notably:

• ‘Cap Ingénieuses’ label: awarded in France by the Conference of Directors of French
  Engineering Schools (CDEFI).
• Ingénieuses 2024: student participation in the Student Engagement Award.

‘In the shoes of an engineer’: An immersive experience for Year 10 schoolgirls

EPF Engineering School, in partnership with VINCI and the Elles Bougent association, is launching a programme in 2025 aimed at Year 10 schoolgirls to introduce them to careers in engineering. Entitled “In the shoes of an engineer”, this two-week immersion course, scheduled for 16–27 June 2025, will take place across the four campuses in France: Paris-Cachan, Troyes, Montpellier and Saint-Nazaire. It will welcome 80 young women for a unique experience combining academic exploration and immersion in a corporate environment.

A two-step approach: campus and workplace

A programme designed to inspire and support

The initiative is based on two key pillars:

• Career guidance from Year 10 onwards, to help young women better understand the career opportunities offered by engineering courses.
• A multi-year mentoring programme, providing long-term support and guidance with academic and career choices.

A major challenge for diversity in engineering

The aim of ‘In the Footsteps of a Female Engineer’ is ambitious:

• To increase the representation of women in engineering professions.
• To promote technical and scientific disciplines among schoolgirls in order to inspire them to pursue careers in these sectors, which are still predominantly male-dominated.

A programme open to curious and motivated individuals

This work experience programme is open to all Year 10 schoolgirls, whether they are already passionate about science or simply keen to explore new career opportunities. No prior technical skills are required: all that matters is curiosity and a desire to learn.

From the start of the 2025 academic year, the EPF will offer a recruitment pathway exclusively for young women, accompanied by a specific training programme that forms part of the general engineering degree.

A favourable legal framework and an initiative supported by the Foundation

This initiative has been approved by the Legal Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Higher Education and the Directorate-General for Higher Education and Career Integration. This approval is based on the EPF’s private status and the articles of association of its Foundation, which is recognised as being of public utility and explicitly state its mission to provide higher education for women in scientific and technical fields, thereby forming the basis for the assessment and this authorisation.

A specific recruitment process that ensures an equivalent standard of recruitment

Implicit biases, gender stereotypes and cultural norms have a significant impact on female candidates’ performance. This analysis explores the need for a specific pathway for women to obtain an engineering degree from the EPF, drawing on research that demonstrates the gender biases present in academic selection processes, particularly in competitive environments. Drawing on scientific studies and surveys, this analysis concludes with a proposal for an innovative and inclusive approach to the selection of female engineering candidates.

The inclusion of continuous assessment and tests of transferable skills allows for a fairer and more comprehensive evaluation of candidates’ skills. By breaking with traditional practices, this model helps to promote an inclusive environment and encourage greater female representation in scientific and technical fields, thereby contributing to a culture of diversity and innovation in engineering. Assessment is based on a skills matrix, and selection panels are trained in gender bias to ensure objectivity in the evaluation process.

Training programme focused on employment

In addition to the standard generalist training curriculum, a specialised training programme has been introduced, focused on career integration. This programme aims to equip future female engineers with the tools to understand the corporate environment, challenge gender stereotypes and interpret employers’ expectations. ParityLab thus aims to equip young women with the means to reach their full professional potential and overcome the obstacles specific to women.

This programme offers a bespoke approach and support over five years, providing genuine personalised guidance through mentoring by female leaders and experienced professionals across various sectors. It also enables participants to build a strong network and share experiences with other professional women.

Ambition: to become an action research laboratory promoting gender equality

The EPF has drawn on research findings, the literature on gender bias and interviews with experts in the field to develop this new programme. The ParityLab, an action research laboratory dedicated to gender parity currently being set up, will approach the subject objectively and use a scientific approach to identify the drivers of feminisation. A strategic advisory board comprising leading figures from higher education and experts on gender parity issues will guide the action research carried out within the ParityLab and will, in particular, monitor the development of the women’s pathway.

To promote female entrepreneurship, the EPF is stepping up its support for those wishing to start a business through its new incubator, ‘INCUBACT’HER’ (October 2024). This incubator is open exclusively to start-ups led or co-led by women. A dedicated support programme is also available to female entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the Foundation may also invest in certain start-ups created by its alumni. This commitment helps to strengthen the societal impact of the Foundation and its schools.

As part of our commitment to equality, EPF will launch the ‘Fresque de l’Équité’ for all its first-year students at the start of the 2025 academic year. This interactive and immersive programme aims to raise students’ awareness of gender equality issues and to challenge gender stereotypes.

• Among the topics covered is the emergence of stereotypes from the age of 4, with 70% of children already internalising asymmetrical gender representations. The initiative will also highlight several phenomena, including:
• The pay gap: a 4% disparity that persists between women and men in equivalent roles and working hours.
• Professional self-censorship experienced by 40% of women, often due to internalised stereotypes.
• The under-representation of women in the digital sector, where they account for only 23% of employees. Alarmingly, 1 in 2 women leaves this sector before the age of 35.

We will also explore the meaning of terms such as misogyny, the normalisation of sexism, the glass ceiling, masculinism, androcentrism, imposter syndrome, the de-prioritisation of financial issues, gendered career choices, mental load, cognitive biases, patriarchy and self-censorship among women.

By raising our students’ awareness of these statistics and reflections, we hope to promote a culture of inclusion and equality, and to develop conscious and committed leaders. They will be better prepared to combat inequalities and to devise innovative solutions for a fairer society.

A long-term, comprehensive transformation of the learning environment is currently underway. One of the first measures to be introduced, effective from January 2025, is menstrual leave for all female students. The EPF thus becomes the first engineering school (excluding those attached to universities) to introduce menstrual leave for female students. This allows female students to take excused absences from classes and assessments.

Supporting access to education for talented young women
As part of its commitment to promoting equal opportunities and access to education for all, EPF Engineering School offers the Marie-Louise Paris Scholarship, an initiative designed to support talented young women in their engineering studies.

Depuis de nombreuses années, l’EPF participe au prix « Women’s Energy in Transition » organisé par DALKIA. Ce prix récompense des étudiantes et des professionnelles, mettant en l mière des parcours inspirants de femmes engagées dans le secteur de la transition énerg tique.

L’initiative vise à encourager les futures générations et à renforcer la présence des femmes dans les métiers techniques et scientifiques.

En 2024, une élève de l’EPF a été lauréate dans la catégorie Bac +2/3, illustrant l’engagement des étudiantes de l’école dans ce domaine.

EPF and Prologin: a committed partnership to train young women in digital skills
 

In line with its commitment to promoting gender diversity in engineering and digital professions, EPF partners with the Prologin association every year to organise Girls Can Code! workshops across its four campuses: Paris-Cachan, Troyes, Montpellier and Saint-Nazaire. This introductory programming programme, which is completely free of charge, aims to encourage schoolgirls and female students to discover the world of coding and computer science. 

A complete immersion in the digital world

Over the course of a weekend, participants are immersed in the world of computer science and software development through interactive workshops, hands-on projects and programming challenges. Supported by experienced volunteers and engineering students, they acquire fundamental programming skills whilst building their self-confidence.

A programme designed to encourage people to enter the priesthood

Through Girls Can Code!, the EPF and Prologin aim to:

• Demystify computer science and show that it is a field accessible to everyone.
• Encourage women to pursue careers in a sector that remains largely male-dominated.
• Provide a supportive environment where young girls can learn without pressure and experiment freely.

A strong commitment to diversity

By hosting these courses on its campuses every year, EPF reaffirms its commitment to promoting diversity in science and technology. This partnership with Prologin is part of a wider initiative aimed at increasing the number of women in scientific and technical fields. 

Girls Can Code! in Montpellier, focusing on video games 

During the latest edition of the Girls Can Code! workshop held on the Montpellier campus, participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of video games. With the support of volunteers from Prologin, they were able to develop their programming skills and discover the many facets of the digital world.

The teachers enriched this experience by sharing their work and answering numerous questions about artificial intelligence and the challenges of the digital world. In addition, several alumni spoke about their career paths and their day-to-day professional lives in the video game industry.

1925–2025: EPF is the legacy of a bold woman determined to make science an open and accessible field for everyone.

Objectives: 

• To celebrate 100 years of history
• To bring our communities and stakeholders together
• To speak out on a social issue and stimulate debate

To mark this historic occasion, the EPF has chosen to lead the debate on gender equality in the scientific and engineering careers of the future. This initiative draws on a unique experience: after being the only 100% female engineering school in France for 70 years before becoming co-educational, the EPF now aims to have 50% female students by 2028.

Far from being a mere commemoration, this centenary takes the form of a living manifesto that will unfold throughout 2025. Through an ambitious programme, EPF is rallying around a conviction: the engineering of tomorrow must be inclusive, creative and committed.

This commitment is rooted in the very DNA of the school. Since its creation, EPF has always been one step ahead: a pioneer in training female engineers, but also in integrating new technologies (aeronautics from the 1930s, electronics in the 1950s, computer science in the 1960s) and in developing innovative teaching methods. 

Today, at a time when society is facing major changes, this centenary marks a crucial milestone in shaping the future of engineering for the next 100 years. How can we train creative and committed engineers? What skills are needed to support technological and environmental transitions? How can we foster the emergence of a more inclusive engineering profession? These are just some of the questions that will be at the heart of the discussions and events during this anniversary year.