Girls are underrepresented in mathematics competitions—their share of participants in the International Mathematical Olympiad remains stuck at 11% across all countries—and show little interest in scientific subjects generally and mathematics in particular. This has prompted some countries with coeducational systems to create mathematics competitions exclusively for girls: China launched the China Girls Mathematical Olympiad in 2002, the United States followed with the lavishly funded Math Prize for Girls in 2009, and Europe created the European Girls' Math Olympiad (EGMO) in 2012.
Combating stereotypes
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What do the organizers of such competitions hope to achieve? Undoubtedly, they want to encourage girls to develop an interest in mathematics by placing them in an environment where they may feel more at ease. Murray Edwards College in Cambridge, United Kingdom, which organized the first EGMO, was encouraged by the success of its initiative, launched in 2010, to send girls to the China Girls Mathematical Olympiad.
The merits of such competitions may nevertheless be questioned, as Michèle Artigue, professor emerita at Université Paris-Diderot and former president of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI), explains.
> "It is clear to me that action must be taken to attract more girls to mathematics and combat the stereotypes that continue to prevail, as the association Femmes et Maths does in France in particular […] and I am delighted that the International Mathematical Union has recently created a committee on this issue. […] On the other hand, I absolutely do not believe that the answer lies in separating mathematics for girls from mathematics for boys. There are so many possible initiatives that can encourage girls' participation while preserving coeducation, inclusion and solidarity; I do not necessarily want to give precedence to a competitive spirit."
