Paris, 3 March 2026 – Equans announces a partnership with Entreprendre Pour Apprendre (EPA) to take action in secondary schools to guide young girls in their career choices. The aim is to show in concrete terms that scientific fields and technical professions are accessible, through meetings and feedback. This initiative is part of a broader approach led by Equans to increase gender diversity in scientific, technical and digital fields through its #BreakTheCode initiative and, more broadly, its Gender+ plan, which combines complementary actions to attract, develop and support talent, while creating an increasingly inclusive working environment.
A partnership to raise awareness of career paths for women in technical professions
Through this partnership, Equans is taking action at secondary school level on a key issue: enabling young girls to envisage a future for themselves in scientific fields and technical professions in very concrete terms, through meetings, feedback and practical action. Starting on 9 March 2026, as part of the 2026 Young Women's Awareness and Entrepreneurship Weeks (#SEF2026), Equans will mobilise nine mentors from diverse backgrounds to support secondary school students and contribute, at the grassroots level, to changing perceptions of technical and scientific professions. The partnership will also be a long-term one, with the organisation of three MiniEntreprises® S between May and December 2026, at three Equans sites in France, focusing on a common issue: guiding young girls towards STEM and technical professions.
A partnership that is part of a broader Equans initiative
The partnership with EPA reinforces Equans' structured initiative to promote gender diversity in its professions and teams. This approach is based on the Gender+ plan, organised around three complementary levers: attractiveness (raising the profile of technical professions and making them appealing), development (supporting careers and leadership) and care (establishing an inclusive culture and a respectful and caring working environment).
Improving the appeal of technical and scientific professions
Equans acts first and foremost upstream, where perceptions are formed. With #BreakTheCode, the company is continuing its awareness-raising efforts, particularly in digital environments, and amplifying women's stories and career paths in STEM professions. In the same spirit, Equans relies on visibility initiatives, including its partnership with Usine Nouvelle's Women in Industry Awards, and on initiatives to meet young people and broaden their horizons, working closely with them on the ground through 200 special partnerships with schools and more than 200 events organised in 2025.
Developing talent and supporting career paths
Equans also takes concrete action to advance careers. People reviews are systematised across all entities, with a focus on female talent and young leaders, and dedicated development pathways are rolled out (local programmes such as Women in Leadership in the United Kingdom, preparation pathways for future female leaders, etc.). Equans has also set up a Gender+ mentoring programme involving all members of the executive committee to support women in management positions in particular, while opening up the scheme to certain men. Programmes to retrain women for technical professions complement this support, particularly in France (Electra) and Chile (Escuela HVAC).
Installing an inclusive culture and a respectful working environment
Equans is accelerating the spread of a culture of respect within the Group, one of our core values. In 2025, 10,000 managers were made aware of/trained in diversity, equity and inclusion, representing 48% of the managerial population. The Group also draws on the momentum of its internal communities, with more than 2,500 employees active in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including 1,600 in communities dedicated to professional equality. Equans also conducts systematic pay gap analyses and Equans also conducts a systematic analysis of pay gaps and implements measures to promote pay equity through systems set up in several countries (reports, audits, equity plans and indices, depending on the geography). Because inclusion is also a matter of practical implementation, Equans has undertaken to adapt personal protective equipment for women in several countries (France, United Kingdom, Belgium). Finally, the company is consolidating its commitments through certification initiatives (Top Employer extended to Belgium after France, the United Kingdom and Plan Group, Parity certification in Canada, and other labels depending on the country). This mobilisation is producing concrete results: Equans has achieved its target of 20% female managers a year ahead of schedule and has improved the retention of women, with a resignation rate now equivalent to that of men.
“ Gender diversity in technical professions is a social and skills issue. It begins early on, at the time of career guidance, and is then developed within the company through inclusive recruitment, skills development, career opportunities, mentoring, equal treatment and a respectful working environment. At Equans, our Gender+ plan acts across this entire chain. The partnership with EPA is part of this approach, enabling us to reach out to young people and broaden the career choices available to young women in scientific and technical fields. ”
