The role of women in research and at the Institut Pasteur: two initiatives to raise awareness of this issue among young people

Two initiatives led by Institut Pasteur teams have taken place over the past two weeks, both with the aim of raising awareness among young people of the role of women in research and of presenting career guidance.

 

► In connection with a citizens' initiative on the topic "Battles Faced by Women", supported by the Pays de la Loire region, 32 students specializing in science in their penultimate year of high school in Saint Nazaire, together with their teacher, decided to explore "the role of women and their investment in research".

They turned to the Institut Pasteur in the hope of meeting some of its female scientists. In late February, the "Collège 3" team from the Department of Education organized for the students to come along to an afternoon of activities on this topic.

The afternoon began with a lecture on the history of women at the Institut Pasteur, followed by the chance to meet a dozen female scientists working in various roles at the Institut Pasteur. A photo exhibition was also put on in the library on the role of women in research. The students had the opportunity to visit the Biology and Genetics of the Bacterial Cell Wall Unit, the Center for the Production and Infection of Anopheles and the Biomics Technological Platform.

 

 

► More recently, on March 6, around ten girls aged 15 to 18 came to the Institut Pasteur to find out more about the various research professions and support roles. This event was organized by Nicolas Dray, a scientist in the Zebrafish Neurogenetics Unit, in collaboration with the MAASC welcome, support and career development structure for scientists and the "Rêv'Elles" organization.

Since 2013, Rêv'Elles has been offering innovative career guidance programs for girls from working-class backgrounds. In the morning, the group had the opportunity to chat to Nicolas Dray and Brigitte Gicquel, a guest scientist and former Head of the Mycobacterial Genetics Unit, about the various research professions. These discussions raised a number of questions.

The visitors then got to the crux of the topic with a tour of the zebrafish animal facility and the Zebrafish Neurogenetics Laboratory, where they were shown a confocal microscope and given explanations about how a research unit works in practice.

Finally, they had the opportunity to chat to female Institut Pasteur scientists about professions in or associated with research.

Invited along specially for the occasion, Florence Percie du Sert from the Department of Communications and Fundraising, Corinne Sarrazin from the Legal Affairs Department in the Human Resources Department, Maëlle Pichard from the Grants Office, Albane Imbert from the Technical Resources and Environment Department, Catherine Fitting from the Preparation Department and Ariane Collet, an assistant in two research units, each took to the floor to speak about their respective professions.