Femmes de la Défense: The movement putting women at the heart of aerospace and defence
June 29, 2025
In an industry long defined by hardware, hierarchy and, to some extent, homogeneity, a new initiative is quietly reshaping the future of France’s defense sector. Femmes de la Défense, launched in late 2024, aims to break down the gender stereotypes that have discouraged women to seek careers in defense and aerospace.
“Like many technical sectors, defense faces challenges attracting women,” says Nicolas Gros, director of Aérométiers, the association behind Femmes de la Défense [English: Women of Defence]. “But they’re amplified by the masculine image associated with sovereignty and national security.”
Empowering women at the Paris Air Show
At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Femmes de la Défense hosted behind-the-scenes tours, meet-and-greets, virtual reality experiences and the opportunity to connect with major industry players.
Companies including Dassault, Airbus, Safran, MBDA, and Sodern hosted interactive sessions on their stands, where women from across technical and operational roles shared real-world insights and career advice.
“The Féminisons [English: Feminisation] label functions as a permanent working group, a place for exchange, creativity, and, above all, joint action,” says Gros. “Together we are clearly stronger, especially when it comes to dealing with such a subject which requires determined and long-term action.”
Throughout the show, curated tours gave aspiring young professionals rare access to aircraft static displays and the inner workings of flying demonstrations, led by female engineers and command staff. These experiences allowed participants to personally meet women doing cutting‑edge technical work in aerospace.
What is Femmes de la Défense?
The Femmes de la Défense initiative emerged as a natural extension of Féminisons, an earlier campaign to attract more women into industrial and aerospace careers. But this time, the mission is sharper, the stakes higher, with wars and geopolitical tensions intensifying demand for defense talent.
The group’s first landmark event took place during Industry Week in November 2024. Held at the Air and Space Museum, it brought together female professionals from across the defense ecosystem and over 150 middle and high school students.
From company site visits to panels on career pathways, the event served as a launchpad for a growing network of participants and a signal to other sectors. Already, more partners are lining up to join, including land and naval defense stakeholders.
At the heart of the initiative is Aérométiers, the cross-industry platform facilitating collaboration between air, airport, and aerospace actors. While many of the participating firms have their own internal gender equity programs, Aérométiers offers something different: structure, continuity, and collective momentum.
“Aérométiers is the only fully cross-functional aviation organization (Air, Airport, Aeronautics), which gives us strong legitimacy,” Gros explains. “We have chosen a networked approach, such as a permanent working group on topics such as the promotion of women and low-carbon aviation careers.”
Why do we need more women in aerospace and defence?
Recruiting a more diverse workforce is the ethical thing to do, but there are managerial and economic reasons too.
Gros notes that mixed teams often function better and are more creative, and that by encouraging women into the industry, new talent can emerge. Economically, the industry is woefully short of engineers and technicians, and bringing more women into these careers could plug a shortfall in key job roles.
“Gender stereotypes and imposter syndrome, which discourage young women from pursuing scientific and technical training and careers, are further reinforced when it comes to defense and sovereignty,” Gros adds. “Femmes de la Défense gives women and girls an opportunity not just to learn about the jobs they could do, but to see people like them actually doing them.”
As the industry faces a generational turnover and increasing geopolitical pressure, Femmes de la Défense isn’t just a diversity campaign. It’s a strategic investment in the people who will defend the future.
