February 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science organized by UNESCO and, for the occasion, Safran is promoting the Group's actions to help women at every step of their education and professional careers, from childhood to integration into the company.
Read more about these selected initiatives carried out throughout the world to encourage young girls to aim for careers in science and to promote gender diversity in our sector.
Diversity and inclusion are fundamental values for Safran, because the Group believes that they contribute the company's performance and sustainability. Among the various actions to encourage overall diversity, Safran is increasing the proportion of women in the aeronautical industry, notably by attracting more women to the relevant training programs. Indeed, the recruitment of women for scientific and technical jobs remains highly dependent on their representation in the scientific disciplines in education!
Through interventions in schools, partnerships with schools and universities and support for charity organizations, Safran helps to do away with stereotypes at a young age by showing that scientific sectors are not just for boys. The Group thus helps to promote scientific professions and encourage vocations when it comes to making career decisions, as well as supporting female students through their university studies. At the same time, Safran proposes support and training for its female employees throughout their careers in the Group.
Here's an overview of what we do!
Awareness actions to counter stereotypes at a young age
Doing away with stereotypes! To change preconceived ideas about technical professions, the Group's employees, both men and women, regularly make presentations in elementary schools to explain what they do and why, and to share what they love most about their jobs. Most importantly, they communicate a key message: the scientific sectors are exciting and open to both girls and boys!
One example in the UK, where ambassadors from our Women@Safran network organized a workshop for young students to present the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math).
'Our STEM ambassadors, who are also part of the Women@Safran network, designed and implemented the workshop, thus becoming role models to encourage children's interest in scientific jobs and our sector.'
Melissa Inwood - Human Resources Officer, Safran Electrical & Power
Promoting the scientific sectors
Safran also supports the actions of charities working to promote professions in industry and particularly the aeronautical sector, among high school and college students, at a key stage in their lives: career orientation.
In Canada, the Girls Take Flight association organizes an annual event to promote opportunities in the aerospace sector among young women: teams from Safran Landing Systems participate in this initiative. The event, which is open to the public and has been running since 2005, attracted between 1,000 and 2,000 people this year.
In France, the Elles Bougent! association organizes various visits and interventions for young women and girls thanks to the 500 sponsors and correspondents from Safran involved in these initiatives.
'Safran plays a crucial role as a partner of Elles Bougent!, making young girls aware of the opportunities available in industry and encouraging them to consider this exciting sector. The sponsors in contact with the young people act as role models that they can identify with.'
Marie-France Leydert - Black Belt, Safran Helicopter Engines
Supporting female students through university
Safran has developed solid partnerships with schools and universities throughout the world. In France, the school ambassador network, which involves some 300 employees, regularly participates in events with students, and works with them on projects like the Black-out Challenge.
This was also the case in Mexico, where the teams from the Chihuahua site welcomed a group of students from the technology institute to work on actual projects proposed by the continuous improvement department. An original way of presenting our activities that offers exposure to the reality of the Group's activities.
The Group's sites also promote access to higher education by making donations to schools, proposing scholarships for deserving students, and appointing sponsors to encourage their success.
'It is very important for us to establish this link with the students, because we can show them the work we do, opening doors to get them interested in industrial professions.'
Andrea Teran - Human Resources Manager, Safran Cabin
Helping women to flourish professionally
Safran also supports its own employees to enable them to express their full potential and flourish professionally. Various initiatives exist, including mentor programs at Group or company level, networks for women to encourage solidarity and personal development, and training course to develop female leadership. These Talent Boost training programs offer a new understanding of gender stereotypes to help us to overcome them. Participants are encouraged to take charge of their own careers and to break through the glass ceilings.
'Whether you are a young graduate or have several years of professional experience, it is difficult to shake off the limits that can be imposed by our stereotyped environments. External contributions, like Safran's Talent Boost training, are very valuable when it comes to learning to develop your legitimacy and assertiveness.'
SAFRAN 
