Women 4 Quantum: building a more inclusive quantum future

An interview with Valentina Parigi, professor at Sorbonne University, researcher at the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel and one of the authors of the manifesto of values of the Women 4 Quantum association.
 

What is Women 4 Quantum? How did the association come about?

Valentina Parigi: Women 4 Quantum (W4Q) brings together senior female physics professors working in the field of quantum optics, atomic and molecular physics, quantum many-body physics, and quantum information from across Europe and also Japan. 
It all started with a group of colleagues and friends, who felt that numerous equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives exist today for women in science on institutional, national and European levels, but that due to their often “imposed” nature, the actions can sometimes feel artificial, and their impact remains limited. What’s more, none of them are particularly focused on the quantum field. 

So three years ago, we decided to organise an event for senior female researchers in quantum science, inviting the women we knew from our networks to a meeting in Palma de Mallorca. While the association’s members are currently all senior female professors or researchers, this is not because we do not want to include younger women. However, we feel it is important to initially focus on a group of people who share similar experiences and who are not afraid to speak out, partly due to the fact that we are not struggling to secure a permanent position, which is a major issue in itself.

The underrepresentation of women in quantum science and the feeling of a lack of legitimacy in senior roles is pretty much the same everywhere, but it does not necessarily manifest itself at the same age or hierarchical level, depending on the country. 
While harassment is a central topic, a recurring theme among the women in the group is the struggle for legitimacy in their roles. There is often a sense that you feel that you are there merely by permission rather than by right or by merit. 

We decided that we should organise our observations into an official manifesto of values. The first draft of the manifesto took approximately a year to write. It was an incredibly democratic process which I particularly enjoyed, as we shared a collaborative space to discuss and exchange together. The first step was taking a “photograph” of the current situation for women in quantum science and defining the values we wanted to share.

Our next step is to formalise our status as an association. We are currently in the legal process of obtaining an association status throughout Europe, following the launch event we held in September 2025 with the Quantum Information Centre at Sorbonne University. 

This year, we will hold the association’s fourth annual meeting in March in Palma de Mallorca, with a scientific conference where everyone is welcome. 
 

What are some of the challenges that female researchers face in the field of quantum science today? 

V.P: Many of the challenges women face in quantum science are related to the challenges women face in STEM fields in general. We know that women are underrepresented in STEM, so it is all the more essential that women feel legitimate in their role, which is clearly linked to work environments. 

We often talk about the “leaky pipeline” – the phenomenon where women progressively exit the academic trajectory at various stages throughout their scientific career, from undergraduate, Master’s and PhD-level study and beyond. These leaks happen at different times in different countries. Women begin to experience pressure to legitimatise their role at different ages, and feel that aspiring to more senior or leadership positions is not expected of them. 

Networking is essential in all forms of human activity, so when you have specific areas, like quantum, where there are fewer women, it can often feel like you are trying to enter an exclusive boy’s club to get the information on the distribution of power and money that you need in order to advance. For example, it can be difficult to gather data on the number of female Principal Investigators (PI) in European projects - such as how many people applied and how many women actually obtained funding. 

What is the situation for girls who are interested in studying quantum science? 

V.P: From my personal experience, the situation can vary across Europe. I am Italian and I did my undergraduate studies in Italy, where I remember there being approximately 50:50 female and male students in my year. This is not necessarily the case in France where it can be 40:60 at best, and female students are even fewer at Master’s level. This may be linked to how students are made to choose their academic orientation very early in France, compared to other countries. 

But of course, measures are being developed and implemented by institutions to counteract this phenomenon. For example, scientific speed dating events in high schools where female researchers meet girls who are considering pursuing science studies are organised. This is a very popular initiative in quantum, and it is a good way to show girls that they too can aspire to research careers. 

This is linked to the core issue of the lack of role models. Recently, quite a few female colleagues have joined us in my laboratory. We are delighted about this. While women are still far from the majority, having more female role models can be a real game changer for our students. When I think back to when I first arrived at the lab, aside from a few older female professors, I was the only woman of my age in my position, so the situation today has evolved!

Have you observed other differences in countries in regard to the challenges women face in quantum science? 

V.P: I am not a social scientist and our work within the association does not seek to criticize specific cultures or societies, but rather highlight the differences and similarities in the experiences shared by the association’s members. We strive to improve the situation for women in quantum today. 

As members of the association, we discuss the challenges we encounter and compare the differences in our respective countries. We have identified links to how research systems and careers are structured, and the importance of hierarchy in certain societies and cultures. For example, even between France and Germany, the age for obtaining a permanent position can vary greatly, often being later in Germany. 

Certain countries have been very vocal about the challenges women in quantum science face for many years now. I remember attending conferences years ago in the UK where centre-stage sessions were dedicated to diversity in quantum fields, rather than proposing the issue as a parallel session, where people can choose which topic interests them the most and ultimately not attend. This was the first time the issue was made such a focal point of science conferences.

What can be done to encourage more women in quantum science? 

V.P: Firstly, I sincerely hope that Women 4 Quantum will in time become a reference for women in quantum science. We hope to provide a space for discussion and explore the possible actions that can be done. 

Secondly, the question of research evaluation and recruitment is central, because it is strongly linked to issues surrounding the representation of women in science. I believe that we need to rethink the representation model for women researchers. 

For example, there has been a recent drive to recognise the achievements of female scientists through prizes and awards. This is of course very positive because women still receive fewer scientific distinctions than men today. But on the other hand, these very prestigious prizes also portray the idea that if you want to be a female scientist, you have to be somewhat of a “wonder woman” researcher. And yet, there are plenty of men doing excellent science who don’t have Nobel Prizes. Encouraging more women in quantum science should not mean making them feel like they have to be exceptional super women, which I should add, is not a very good representation model for men either. 

In conclusion, the association is not about promoting our own professional work, but about giving something back to the next generation. We speak out and use our voice to raise awareness about the issues that persist for women today in our field because we have survived the process. We really hope to see many more young women join us and confidently aspire to careers in quantum science.