It is still difficult for women to access the world of the sciences because of gender bias and stereotypes. It all starts very early in life: gender stereotypes about mathematical ability are passed on – often unknowingly - to girls by their parents, whose have different expectations for boys and for girls. Schools continue to discourage girls from excelling in the sciences, right from the earliest years of elementary school.

The result is serious under-representation of women in the STEM professions. Only 31% of people working in the field of artificial intelligence and 14% of those working in cloud computing are women (Source: World Economic Forum).

To continue ensuring that girls enjoy equal access to scientific disciplines, we need to be able to count on the contribution of everyone in the educational community, whatever their role. By educational community, we mean all private and public entities with responsibility for the education and care of minors, and therefore anyone with an impact on children’s lives.

Do your bit. Every one of us can promote change, in our own way. Whether you are a girl or a boy, a mother, a father, an aunt, a grandfather, or a teacher, you can help close this unjust gap, contributing to the advancement of science and making the world of work fairer and more inclusive.

Signing the Mind the STEM Gap Manifesto is a good way to start (or carry on). It testifies to your awareness of this important issue which has an impact on the progress of science, and therefore on our future.