In Toulouse, Audrey Dussutour inspires girls to pursue scientific studies
Do you know the blob? This living being devoid of a nervous system has become the Christmas gift essential in 2021. While this organization has no brain, the researcher at the CNRS in Toulouse, Audrey Dusutour, demonstrates, in 2016, that he is capable of learning. Highly publicized, this discovery has international products and the name of Audrey Dussutour is known worldwide.
Ascent
A magazine reporter Point offers Audrey to write a book. The latter will then be adapted into a film. The blob, a brainless genius, is made by Jacques Mitsch and produced by Arte and Hauteville productions with the contribution of the CNRS.
Thus, 6 years ago, the career of the Aveyronnaise Audrey Dussutour takes a turn. She becomes a known and recognized female face in the scientific world. Through her new notoriety, the researcher takes the opportunity to carry out actions in schools in order to highlight the place of women in science.
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female models
Despite her very busy schedule, the researcher is involved with schools to inspire young girls with the desire to pursue scientific studies. The representation of female role models is, for Audrey, necessary to motivate young schoolgirls.
In the collective imagination, the scientist par excellence looks like an old man, with a graying beard and a bald head, Audrey Dussutour tells with humor, with such a representation, difficult for young girls to project themselves into this profession. By going to meet them, I show them that you can do research by being a woman.”
However, the researcher explains that in her department in cpet, the number of female researchers is greater than that of their male counterpart. Nevertheless, in the media, the omnipresence of male scientists is flagrant. “Here too, journalists tend to contact researchers to the detriment of female researchers,” laments the Aveyronnaise.
Gain visibility
To mitigate the under-representation of women researchers in the media, the list “The experts” was created in Occitania. It’s about a list listing French women scientists to encourage journalists to contact them.
Furthermore, the CNRS of Toulouse is a forerunner in this field. The center organizes awareness days to motivate young girls and students. The CNRS and Catherine Dematteis (engineer at the CNRS), are also behind the exhibition XXL size. Twelve female scientists from Toulouse were photographed. Their portrait was displayed in the Galeries Lafayettes in the pink city, then in Paris. The initiative was so successful that other research institutions followed suit. In total, 100 portraits of women researchers were exposed.
How to attract more female students?
In engineering schools, young women represent approximately 28% workforce, according to data from French engineering schools. A figure that has stagnated for more than ten years. According to the CNRS, in 2019:
In France, there are still gender differences in access to scientific studies and jobs. While women represent approximately 50% of the workforce in the scientific section of the baccalaureate, we find only 35% of researchers, because they are only 11% in high academic positions.
Comment that changes the trend? According to Audrey Dussutour, alone the school system can contribute to reducing the gaps between genders in science courses, before entering university. A shared opinion on the side of the CNRS. “This involves, for example, more inclusive communication campaigns or the creation of work units on the issue of discrimination, particularly related to gender.”