3 December 2025

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

Amphi Petit Kursaal

Leïla Bessila

Leïla Bessila is an astrophysicist and illustrator. She specialises in the study of waves that propagate inside stars and planets, a field known as asteroseismology.
Dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in science, she co-founded the Projet Matilda association, which works to make science more accessible to young girls and students from underrepresented backgrounds. She also co-authored and illustrated the book “Audacieuses! 10 femmes qui ont marqué les sciences », published by EDP Sciences.
Through talks, exhibitions, and educational projects, she contributes to making science more accessible and engaging.

What are the limits of gender equality in science?

Why are women still underrepresented in science? From mathematics to computer science, from physics to artificial intelligence, science remains a largely male-dominated field: only 29% of French engineers are women, a figure that has barely changed in the past twenty years. This imbalance is not only a matter of equity, but it is also a societal issue at a time when science and innovation shape our daily lives and inform collective decisions. During this talk, we will first explore the cultural, social, and educational roots of these inequalities, which appear during childhood. We will then discuss concrete ways to foster change at the educational, institutional, and professional levels.  An invitation to build a more inclusive and representative science.