In Grenoble, women scientists take part in a photo exhibition to arouse vocations in young girls

They are feminine science ambassadors. In Grenoble, 21 researchers, teachers, engineers and technicians from various scientific disciplines agreed to contribute to the exhibition Science size XX they. A participation that appears with 20 giant portraits installed in the Jardin de Ville. These photographs are accompanied by texts which relate the professional career of each of his women. Among them, there is Maria Eletta Negretti, researcher at the CNRS in Grenoble. This fluid mechanics specialist studies geophysical flows found in the atmosphere or in coastal environments. A very masculine profession where it is not always easy to win. “My colleagues are all great but it’s true that sometimes to be heard, you have to be heard. We are not always taken seriously, so we have to impose ourselves” she admits.

The exhibition, visible until December 5, aims to make it known that women occupy important positions in scientific professions, despite the difficulties. The objective is to encourage young girls attracted by science to go through with their project. “Until high school, they are about 50% in bac S. And when we do statistics after the license, the master or the doctorate, it is completely diluted. We arrive at a proportion between 15 and 20% of women in the scientific course “ laments Fairouz Malek, researcher at the CNRS in Grenoble and coordinator of the exhibition steering committee.

Science size XX they, created by the CNRS and the association Women & Science was born in Toulouse in 2018 with photos of researchers from the region. The concept was taken up again in Lyon in 2019, this time with portraits of Lyon scientists exhibited at the Musée des Confluences. The Paris region has also organized its own version of the exhibition in 2020. Currently, some of these photographs are to be rediscovered on the gates of the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, until November 30.