Soirée des 50 ans de l'entrée des femmes à Polytechnique-Discours d'Eric Labaye, président de l'X

Madam Senator, Madam Member of the European Parliament, Madam Rector, Chief Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen officers, alumni, dear colleagues, students—I am delighted to welcome you to this grand evening celebrating the 50th anniversary of women's admission to École Polytechnique, hosted at the historic École Militaire. I thank Chief Commissioner Barrande and his teams for their warm welcome. I also thank our partners Hardian, Vinci, Dalkia, and Generali and their representatives. We are honored by the presence of Prime Minister Isabelle Borne, class of '81, Minister Isabelle Rome, and the Minister of the Armed Forces represented here. It is wonderful to see such a diverse audience, including many women, former students, teachers, and fifty high school girls. In 1972, seven women were admitted to the school; five of them are here tonight: Anne du Tilleul-Chopiné, Dominique Sénéquier, Françoise Combel, Élisabeth Dupont Kerlan, and Nicole Gontier. They were the first to dare, and they proved immediately that women excel academically. Over 2,500 women have since graduated, each transforming the DNA of the school. They now serve in every sector—as ministers, high officials, generals, scientists, entrepreneurs. This anniversary year featured a portrait exhibition and a film by Pauline Pallier. The school has also promoted mathematics education, supporting a recent government move to make math compulsory for all high school students. Our undergraduate and master's programs have 35% women, and 30% of our PhDs are women, but only 20% of engineering cycle entrants are women. We must accelerate progress: we aim for 30% women in engineering by 2026 and 40% among faculty hires, while our executive committee already has 45% women. We are fighting sexist and sexual violence with a zero-tolerance policy, strengthening anti-harassment measures and psychological support. In 2023 we will open an equal opportunity center within Institut Polytechnique de Paris to reach 100,000 young people. Tonight we will see the film and then a debate on science and diversity with Olivier Andriès, Oumaima Bouhanan, Christelle de Man, Sarah Lamaison, and sociologist Clémence Perronnet. Fifty years is both much and little—much has changed since 1972, but deep stereotypes remain. As Prime Minister Borne said on her appointment, she dedicated her success to all girls, encouraging them to follow their dreams. I dedicate this event to the fifty high school girls here and to all young women who will drive change. Teachers, your daily encouragement is critical. Together we can inspire the next generation. Thank you for your commitment to feminizing École Polytechnique and the sciences. Enjoy the evening.