Newsletter #8 Interview with Benoite De Saporta – Women’s History Month

Benoîte de Saporta: In March, the University is putting women in the spotlight.
Chair of the Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Sciences

Our last mission before the lockdown—but we were already wearing masks!

A full professor of applied probability at the University of Montpellier since 2014, Benoîte de Saporta is a member of the Institut Montpelliérain Alexander Grothendieck (IMAG). Her research and interests focus on applied probability (Markov processes, stochastic control, simulation-based numerical approximation methods) with applications primarily in dynamic reliability (optimization of maintenance schedules and operations) and population dynamics (asymmetry in cell division, optimization of medical treatment).

She is the Director of the Mathematics Department at the Faculty of Sciences, and we asked her to talk to us about the role of girls in mathematics education in general:

BdS: In France, more girls than boys earn a high school diploma: 86% of girls versus 76% of boys pass the baccalaureate exam. However, these figures mask significant disparities across academic disciplines, which become more pronounced during higher education and in the workplace. In 2017, 47% of students in the final year of high school (Terminale S) were women, as were 43% of those pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science and 40% of those pursuing a master’s degree in science. This gradual decline is known as the “leaky pipeline.” It is particularly evident in mathematics: these figures drop to 28% of associate professors and 12% of full professors in mathematics (sections 25 and 26).

And as for the Faculty of Science in Montpellier, are there more women interested in this field?

BdS: This imbalance is also evident at the FdS. In 2020, 39% of students in the third year of the mathematics bachelor’s program were women, compared to 24% in the second year of the mathematics master’s program. The Department of Mathematics is also well below the national average, with 13% of women among all staff members and only 4 female faculty members (3 Associate Professors (10%) and 1 Full Professor (5%)).

 And at the national level, are there any noticeable differences or improvements?

BdS: These figures are improving slightly, but very slowly: nationally, the percentage of female faculty members in mathematics rose from 20.8% in 1998 to 22% in 2019. The real change in recent years is that we’re talking about it much more. There are tools available to combat gender stereotypes and implicit biases and move toward greater equality:

–       Encouraging girls to study science
–       Raise awareness of women scientists
–       Use communication materials free of stereotypes, from worksheets to institutional materials:
http://www.haut-conseil-egalite.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/guide_pour_une_communication_publique_sans_stereotype_de_sexe_vf_2016_11_02.compressed.pdf

–       Becoming aware of one’s own implicit biases:
  https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

– Develop women’s networks and mentoring programs
– Promote work-life balance
– More generally, see the list of recommendations from the“Gender Gap in Science”project: https://gender-gap-in-science.org/project-book-booklet/

*Note: The last two links will take you to English-language websites, and you may need to log in to access the articles.

In conclusion, while March is the month when gender equality issues take center stage, action must be taken throughout the year to make scientific studies and careers more appealing to girls and women, thereby fostering greater equality—which is synonymous with diversity, richness, and creativity.