February 14, 2025
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
"Women and girls in science": a look back on several Institut Pasteur initiatives
Following the tenth International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on Tuesday February 11, we wanted to take the opportunity to report on several Institut Pasteur initiatives and interviews with scientists that highlight the Institut Pasteur's commitment in this area.
Boosting the visibility of women scientists on Wikipedia: a look back at the edit-a-thon
On February 7, an edit-a-thon was held on the Institut Pasteur campus. This unique collaborative workshop was organized by the Department of Communications and Public Affairs and the Department for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), with the participation and help of the Scientific Information Resources Center (CeRIS).
The idea? Just 20% of Wikipedia's biographies are about women. To mark the tenth International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the aim of this workshop was to create, translate or update Wikipedia pages about female scientists who worked at the Institut Pasteur.
During the five-hour workshop, 25 participants (volunteers from the Institut Pasteur, the workshop leader and supervisors) worked carefully and conscientiously to boost the visibility of the Institut Pasteur's female scientists on Wikipedia.
By the end of this collaborative group effort:
• 2 new articles on women scientists at the Institut Pasteur had been produced (Odile Croissant and Antonina Guelin)
• 6 draft versions of new articles on women scientists at the Institut Pasteur had been written
• 14 articles on women scientists at the Institut Pasteur had been improved
This was a productive session and a learning experience that the newsletter team will present in greater detail in the next newsletter with videos, photos and testimonials from those involved.
Sarah Merkling speaks to Le Mag de la santé on France 5
Fewer than 30% of scientists worldwide are women. To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, French TV program Le Mag de la santé chose to shine a light on the careers of female scientists with a profile of Sarah Merkling, a scientist at the Institut Pasteur.
Sarah, who leads the Insect Infection & Immunity group, spoke about her career, her team and the research they produce.
Catch up with the video online (go to minute 11 of the broadcast)
13.9%, the podcast about gender inequality in the workplace
In November 2024, the French government launched a podcast series entitled "13.9%." The figure "13.9%" refers to the average pay gap in France: when transposed to the real world, this means that in 2024, at precisely 4.48pm and 15 seconds on November 8, women in France effectively stopped being paid for their work.
Over six dedicated episodes, the series reveals how gender equality still exists in the workplace. Each episode highlights the experiences of a woman and a man in the same profession, with the same experience and similar education and training. Although their careers should be similar, disparities emerge, highlighting realities that are all too often overlooked.
Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur, and Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research), gave a joint interview for the podcast in which they spoke about the continued existence of gender inequalities in the workplace, including in the research sector. The podcast episode featuring their interview was broadcast on February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Listen to the "13.9%" podcast with Yasmine Belkaid and Antoine Petit