The initiative is "historic." These aren't our words, but rather those of Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, who announced this Tuesday, March 25th, the launch of a committee to inscribe the names of women scientists on the Eiffel Tower. It's all about correcting a historical omission and getting in step with equality, as the names of 72 illustrious scholars are engraved in gold letters on the monument… with 0 women.
🔴 Tour Eiffel : les femmes enfin mises à l'honneur ?
— LCI (@LCI) March 26, 2025
👉 72 noms de scientifiques figurent en lettres dorées sur le 1er étage de la Tour Eiffel, tous des hommes. 40 noms de scientifiques femmes devraient faire leur apparition au 2ème étage. pic.twitter.com/LDOs9Nicmx
Women Scientists, the Invisible Ones
Lavoisier, Fresnel, Arago, Foucault… During the construction of the Eiffel Tower from 1887 to 1889, it was decided that the names of the scientists who made their mark in the 19th century would be inscribed in golden letters on the first level of the structure. A sort of scientific Pantheon symbolizing the hopes carried by progress, but completely invisibilizing the women who also made significant contributions to advancing science.
« As early as 1889, scientists like Émilie du Châtelet, Sophie Germain, or Marie Joliot-Curie would have deserved this tribute envisioned by Gustave Eiffel to celebrate the heralds of science and technology », writes Jean-François Martins, president of the Société. cute; from the exploitation of the Eiffel Tower (SETE), on its Linkedin account. 40 women scientists – mathematicians, astronomers, doctors, physicists… – will soon have their names on the second floor of the monument. “Fewer names than men, but higher up!,” the city explains on its website. And while the typography will be the same as for the male names, their color will be silver and not gold. We shouldn’t ask for too much, after all.
La maire de @Paris, #AnneHidalgo, en collaboration avec la SETE et l'association @FemmesSciences, a annoncé la formation d'un comité scientifique chargé d'étudier les modalités d'ajout de noms de femmes scientifiques sur le Tour Eiffel 🗼🔬https://t.co/5VUlhW3zcy
— Parcours de Pionnières (@5edesFemmes) March 26, 2025
From the First Meetings in Spring
Some names, listed by the president of SETE above, stand out on their own, as if they were meant to be, but the full list of selected women won't be revealed right away. The scientific committee, made up of representatives from the state, renowned women scientists, heritage experts, historians, and associations, will gather in the spring to choose profiles representing a wide array of scientific fields.
The only condition is to stick to the "hard" sciences, based on calculations and observation, such as chemistry, biology, or mathematics, with industrial applications, echoing Gustave Eiffel's vision. Special attention will be given to the respect for heritage, with the behind-the-scenes contributions of students from the National School of Arts and Crafts.
create prototypes.See this post on Instagram