International Women's Day 2025: HEC Paris' Commitment to Women in Business, Leadership, Tech, and Entrepreneurship
International Women's Day 2025: HEC Paris' Commitment to Women in Business, Leadership, Tech, and EntrepreneurshipOn the occasion of International Women's Day 2025, on March 8, HEC Paris highlights its commitment to advancing gender equity through impactful programs and initiatives. Over the past months, we have strengthened our efforts to empower women across business, leadership, technology, science, and entrepreneurship, ensuring they have the support and opportunities to thrive in fields where they remain underrepresented. Get inspired by these initiatives, hear the voices of exceptional women, and explore new research insights and join our efforts!
Bridging the Gender Gap: Why and Where HEC Paris is Taking Action
Despite significant progress, gender disparities persist across key strategic fields. Women hold only 29% of C-suite positions globally (McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2024), and while they make up 46.8% of the overall workforce, only 28.2% of management positions are occupied by women (UN Women). In STEM fields, women's participation remains disproportionately low, with biases forming as early as high school. Meanwhile, in entrepreneurship, female-led startups receive only 2% of venture capital funding in Europe and the U.S. (2023).
Recognizing these challenges, HEC Paris is actively working to support women across four critical domains with recent initiatives:
- Women in Business: Equipping students with leadership and corporate skills.
- Women in Leadership: Addressing the aspiration gap and fostering female ambition.
- Women in Tech & Science: Encouraging more women to break into technology and STEM fields.
- Women Entrepreneurs: Supporting female founders in scaling impact-driven ventures.
Through tailored programs, mentorship initiatives, and strategic partnerships, we are committed to accelerating change and ensuring that women can thrive across all sectors.
Women in Business: Think Big, Dream Big, Aim High
As part of the HEC Academies 2025 (intensive 3-week seminars for Masters students held in January), we have launched the Women in Business: Think Big, Dream Big, Aim High program, a new course designed to encourage female students to explore underrepresented careers and break barriers in business.
The program’s curriculum is based on the book Take the Lead, co-authored Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Associate Professor in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Diversity at HEC Paris in Qatar, Delphine Mourot-Haxaire, Director of HEC in the UK and coach, and Anne-Valérie Corboz, Professor (Education Track) of Strategy and Business Policy. It is structured around the '7Cs' of leadership development: Career, Compass, Creativity, Champions, Connections, Courage, and Curating Teams.
What does this teaching method, which combines theoretical knowledge with a deeply immersive experience, offer students?
• Practical insights into career paths in finance, consulting, and other male-dominated industries.
• Workshops on corporate culture and leadership skills.
• Mentorship and networking with inspiring female leaders.
• Company visits and hands-on experience to build confidence and career readiness.
"It was important for me to meet empowering leaders in different professional fields. I see myself becoming a leader someday, and this program gave me the tools and motivation to take charge of my future."
Women in Leadership: Understanding and Closing the Aspiration Gap
Leadership ambition plays a critical role in gender disparities at the top. To address this, HEC Paris hosted a Reskill Masterclass with Professor Ekaterina Netchaeva, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources, who presented her research on why women are less likely to pursue leadership roles.
Key Findings from the Research:
• Men consistently exhibit higher leadership aspirations than women, a gap that has persisted for over six decades.
• This gap widens after university, as women’s leadership ambitions plateau while men’s continue to grow.
• Women working in male-dominated fields face additional psychological and structural barriers to leadership.
What Organizations Can Do:
• Redefine leadership norms to value diverse leadership styles.
• Provide early career mentorship to prevent the ambition gap from widening.
• Implement flexible and inclusive workplace policies that encourage female leadership.
"It’s not just about opportunity—it’s about how women perceive leadership and whether they see themselves in these roles. Organizations must do more to create environments that nurture female ambition.", said Prof. Netchaeva.
Learn more: Why the Gender Gap in Leadership Aspirations Continues
Women in Tech: Breaking Barriers, Unlocking Potential
As part of the 2025 Women In Science Day on February 11, HEC Paris featured the voices of two students determined to build successful careers in tech despite existing barriers.
When Women in Tech Make Their Voice Heard
Srijeeta Mandal, a Master in Management student at HEC Paris, reflects on the biases women face in STEM from an early age:
"In India, where I come from, women are often pushed toward medical fields, while engineering and tech are seen as more ‘logical’ and male-dominated. Even when women break into tech careers, they often face challenges in being heard. In meetings, if a male colleague said the same thing as me, his voice would sometimes carry more weight."
Monica Rendon, an MBA student with seven years of experience in the tech industry, shares her perspective:
"There’s still a real difference between men and women in tech. We don’t always have the same opportunities, even though we have the same skills. In meetings, women often have to prepare more data and arguments to get the same level of attention. We have to work harder to make our voices heard."
Practical advice and organizational change to help women thrive in the technology industry
To foster a more inclusive tech industry, HEC Paris hosted the third edition of the Women in Tech Roundtable on October 11, 2024, as part of the Digital & Tech Career Fair (Nov 6-7, 2024). Organized in collaboration with the MBA Tech Club and the Women in Leadership Club, the event brought together women leaders from across digital and innovation fields to share insights and discuss strategies for success.
Key takeaways from the roundtable:
• Navigating careers in a male-dominated field and the role of mentorship.
• The growing opportunities for women in tech and the increasing demand for diverse talent.
• How companies are actively working to integrate more women into digital and tech roles.
"The tech industry is not just for engineers—it needs leaders, strategists, and innovators. Women bring valuable perspectives that drive innovation and business success."
To explore why women can thrive in the tech industry, read our article:
Unlocking Potential: 5 Reasons Why Women Can Thrive in Tech Careers.
Women in Science: Breaking Biases Early
Addressing the challenge of women's under-representation in scientific fields requires rethinking how we inspire and support young girls in science from an early age.
As part of UNESCO’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025, HEC Paris co-organized with Hi! PARIS on February 14 a roundtable at L’Oréal, held as a side event of the international AI Summit, focusing on: "Breaking biases early: Empowering girls to envision themselves in STEM."
This cross-sector discussion brought together researchers, educators, corporate leaders, and policymakers to examine how educational systems and early societal perceptions shape girls’ aspirations in science. This 4th edition of Women in in Science conference was moderated by Anne-Laure Sellier, Professor of Behavioral Sciences at HEC Paris.
3 Key Takeaways to Inspire More Women in STEM
The STEM gender gap starts before university: Studies show that girls’ interest in science drops sharply during high school, influenced by societal biases, lack of role models, and stereotyped career expectations.
Educational programs must be designed to spark long-term interest: One-off initiatives are not enough—continuous mentorship, hands-on experiences, and visibility of female role models in STEM are critical to sustaining engagement.
Corporate and policy-level action is essential: Companies and institutions must go beyond hiring policies and invest in STEM outreach programs, scholarships, and early exposure to scientific careers for young girls.
To dive deeper into these discussions and explore actionable solutions, watch the replay or read Hi! PARIS recap article: Breaking Barriers: Why More Women in STEM Requires More Than Just Policy.
Women Entrepreneurs: Empowering Female Founders for a Sustainable Future
The Women Entrepreneurs 4 Good (WE4G) program took center stage at the Women's Forum 2024 Global Meeting in Paris, showcasing 10 outstanding women-led ventures. Co-led by HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute and the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, WE4G equips female founders with mentorship, business acceleration, and access to key industry networks to help scale their impact.
Spotlight on 2024 Laureates:
• Yummy Greens (Cameroon): Addressing youth and female unemployment while promoting sustainable food access.
• Understand Your Cycle (UK): A medically verified platform educating users about the menstrual cycle.
• Akofresh (Ghana): A green cold chain enterprise helping smallholder farmers reduce post-harvest losses.
How WE4G Supports Women Entrepreneurs:
• Six-month acceleration program with coaching and business development support.
• Startup Sprint to refine business models and investor pitches.
• Incubation at HEC Paris for the top finalists, offering tailored resources to scale.
Read More:
Why Supporting Female Founders Matters More Than Ever
A Collective Vision for Inclusive Leadership and Impact: HEC Paris at the 2024 Women’s Forum
A Commitment to Lasting Change
Through these initiatives, HEC Paris reaffirms its commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for women in business, leadership, tech, and entrepreneurship. By fostering confidence, providing mentorship, and reshaping industry norms, we are empowering the next generation of women to lead, innovate, and transform their fields.