French statistics show that in the area of training and employment, differences in behavior patterns between men and women have diminished considerably. Nonetheless, sexual segregation remains strong, especially in scientific and technical fields. Distribution among training streams remains uneven. In tertiary and upper-level education and training, women are underrepresented in the scientific and technical programs. In the universities, the proportion of women in the sciences has remained stable; all other specializations show increases. A form of job segregation concentrates women in a limited number of occupations, notably personal services, health care, and office work. Technicians are 10.4 percent women, engineers and technical managers, 9.8 percent. A French study explored social conditions and processes that lead young women to pursue male-dominated training and employment. Data were obtained through interviews with 47 young women enrolled in technical training, and some of their parents, principals, and teachers. A combined analysis of social rationales brought out features common to the cohort studied: families expected a great deal from the young women in terms of socio-occupational advancement and counted on their academic success to bring this about; academic performance was average, with emphasis on "scientific" subjects; and a gender dynamic led the girls to assume a boy's role. Three post-degree itineraries can be extrapolated from the respective weights of these social rationales within the family configurations and the way they are combined. (16 references) (YLB)