Paris, January 28 – The Eiffel Tower, an iconic symbol of French engineering and scientific prowess, is set to undergo a significant update to its historical engravings. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced yesterday, January 27, 2026, the forthcoming inscription of 72 names of female scientists on the monument. This landmark decision aims to provide these trailblazing women with their rightful place in the scientific pantheon, alongside the 72 male scientists, engineers, and industrialists already honored on the tower.
A Long Overdue Recognition for Women in Science
For over 130 years, the first floor of the Eiffel Tower has displayed a frieze bearing the names of 72 French male luminaries from 1789 to 1889, including Gustave Eiffel himself. These names, chosen for their contributions to France, are etched in capital, gilded, and embossed letters. The new initiative seeks to rectify a historical oversight by adding a parallel tribute to female scientists.
The project, initiated in March 2025 by the City of Paris, the Société d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), and the association “Femmes & Sciences” (Women & Science), underscores a commitment to gender equality and the promotion of women in STEM fields. “It is time to give women their rightful place on the Eiffel Tower, this exceptional monument, admired worldwide and designed by Gustave Eiffel to pay tribute to science and scientists!” declared Mayor Anne Hidalgo in a statement. She added, “Soon, young girls looking at the Eiffel Tower will also be able to aspire to become doctors, mathematicians, chemists, biologists, computer scientists, engineers, physicists, astrophysicists, or climatologists. We need scientists and women to imagine the world to come. This is a magnificent prospect that should rejoice us all!”
Notable Names Among the Honorees
The list of 72 female scientists includes globally recognized figures such as Marie Curie, the pioneering physicist and chemist who conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity and was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. Other notable names include Angélique du Coudray, an 18th-century obstetrician, and Yvonne Bruhat, a physicist and mathematician who passed away in 2025.
The names will be affixed on a frieze directly above the existing one on the first floor. This list, while announced, still requires formal validation and approval from three competent academies: the Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Academy of Technologies.
The Full List of 72 Female Scientists:
- Denise ALBE-FESSARD
- Yvette AMICE
- Jeanne BARET
- Denise BARTHOMEUF
- Madeleine BRÈSY
- Yvonne CHOQUET-BRUHAT
- Simonne CAILLÈRE
- Yvette CAUCHOIS
- Edmée CHANDON
- Marthe CONDAT
- Anita CONTI
- Eugénie COTTON
- Radhia COUSOT
- Odile CROISSANT
- Marie CURIE
- Augusta DÉJÉRINE
- Henriette DELAMARRE
- Georgette DÉLIBRIAS
- Nathalie DEMASSIEUX
- Rose DIENG
- Angélique DU COUDRAY
- Louise DU PIERRY
- Henriette MATHIEU-FARAGGI
- Jacqueline FERRAND
- Jacqueline FICINI
- Rosalind FRANKLIN
- Marthe GAUTIER
- Sophie GERMAIN
- Jeanne GUIOT
- Geneviève GUITEL
- Sébastienne GUYOT
- Claudine HERMANN
- Andrée HOPPILLIARD
- Marie-Louise DUBREIL-JACOTIN
- Irène JOLIOT-CURIE
- Geneviève JOURDAIN
- Dorothéa KLUMPKEL
- Lydie KOCH
- Colette KREDER
- Nicole LAROCHE
- Cornélie LEBON-DE BRAMBILLA
- Yolande LE CALVEZ
- Paulette LIBERMANN
- Marianne GRUNBERG-MANAGONA
- Nicole MANGIN
- Cécile MORETTE
- Edith MOURIERE
- Ethel MOUSTACCHIS
- Suzanne NOËLY
- Yvonne ODIC
- Isabelle OLIVIERI
- Marie-Louise PARIS
- Marguerite PEREY
- Claudine PICARDET
- Alberte PULLMAN
- Pauline RAMART
- Lucie RANDOIN
- Alice RECOQUE
- Michelle SCHATZMAN
- Anne-Marcelle SCHRAMECK
- Marie-Hélène SCHWARTZ
- Josiane SERRE
- Alice SOLLIER
- Hélène SPARROW
- Bianca TCHOUBAR
- Marie-Antoinette TONNELAT
- Thérèse TRÉFOUËL
- Agnès ULLMANN
- Arlette VASSY
- Suzanne VEIL
- Jeanne VILLEPREUX
- Toshiko YUASA
Impact and Future Outlook
This initiative is part of a broader movement to increase the visibility of women’s contributions to science and to inspire future generations. By placing these names on one of the world’s most visited monuments, Paris aims to send a powerful message about the importance of diversity and inclusion in scientific fields.
The formal inscription process will follow the validation by the academies, with further details on the timeline expected to be announced in due course. This project is a testament to Paris’s commitment to honoring its history while actively shaping a more equitable future.
Source: sortiraparis.com
