This text is part of the special section Professions and careers
Close your eyes and imagine someone working in a scientific field. What does this person look like? For many, it will be the image of a white man with messy hair and wearing a lab coat that will come to mind. This common perception is, however, not trivial: it contributes to changing the direction that young girls will give to their careers. The result is an under-representation of half of the population in scientific professions, where they were only 23% in 2016. Good news, initiatives that aim to make things happen are multiplying. Overview.
For young women to want to pursue careers related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), they must have concrete role models. This is the conclusion drawn by Josée Gauthier, general director of COlab Social innovation and digital culture. Same story with Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo, professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Montreal: “Everything is based on the concept of scientific identity. Young women and minorities do not identify with the scientist stereotype, so they do not imagine becoming one themselves. »
The good news is that scientific identity is malleable. “Research shows that it is parents who have the greatest impact on this identity,” explains the physics professor. In second place, it is the teachers who are almost as important. » It is therefore at school that we must stimulate the imagination of young girls, so that they can project themselves into these professions which cruelly need them.
Expand the imagination
At COlab Social Innovation and Digital Culture, Josée Gauthier decided to turn her attention to the young girls themselves, by setting up the Les Ambiteuses program, an extracurricular activity intended for young girls in the second cycle of secondary school.
Each week, students are offered concrete situations related to science professions, entrepreneurship and leadership. “These are not just passive sessions,” explains the director. They must do research and work as a team. In the entrepreneurial portion, they must have a business idea that they are developing. »
Initially designed in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, where the research center’s offices are located, COlab received, in October 2023, provincial funding of nearly $550,000 to extend the program to the entire province. “We can already see the impacts,” emphasizes Josée Gauthier. We know that we have influenced certain career choices. »
Inclusive teaching
To convince young girls to study science, you must first go through teachers, believes Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo. “Strategies can be applied in the classroom to help girls and minorities feel competent,” she explains. She decided to co-found Parité sciences and pass on the results of this research to teaching staff.
“Often, in class, a teacher will present an equation and ask to raise your hand if you know how to solve it,” illustrates the researcher. But studies show that it will always be the same two or three students who raise their hands, often white boys. Others will say to themselves “I don’t know the answer, clearly I’m not in my place!”. » On the contrary, by separating the class into small groups who will have to work together to find the solution, we encourage collaboration. This approach is one of the ten strategies documented by the Parité sciences team.
Since 2021, Mme Hlavacek-Larrondo and his colleagues present a one-hour training based on their research in Quebec CEGEPs, training nearly 600 teachers and educational advisors. The training has also been offered online since 2023 for secondary school teachers on the Cadre21 platform. “We say that a teacher reaches around 100 students each year,” calculates the physics teacher. Over a career, that’s 2000 young people! By training just one person, we can reach many more! »
We will have to wait a few more years to see the results of these initiatives on school benches and the job market. But Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo is optimistic: “I am convinced that we have developed a highly effective strategy to bring about rapid change in the presence of women in STEM fields. ” Nothing less.
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