Throughout history and up to this day, there has been a significant lack of representation towards women in many disciplines such as chemistry, astronomy, and biology. Women, who are more than capable of becoming role models to generations ahead, miss the opportunity to come forward to the world and array their accomplishments. Despite that lack of representation, there’s no doubt that there have always been women who were interested in the scientific fields and many who contributed to important aspects of science and technology.
Women have been part of science and technology dating back to around 6000 years. The first woman in science, Merit Ptah, was a physician who flourished during the second dynasty of Egypt,2700BCE. As for the first world recorded chemist, Tapputi-Belatekallim was a perfume maker from Babylon Mesopotamia dated to around 1200 BCE. She was the founder of several revolutionary techniques including distillation, tincture, and scent extraction. Also, she developed a technique for using solvents such as distilled water and grain alcohol to make scents lighter, brighter, and long-lasting than any other perfume oils.
Other significant names in science are; Maria Gaetana Agnesi(1718-99), an Italian linguist, mathematician, and philosopher. Agnesi is accredited for writing the first calculus book discussing both differential and integral calculus. Ada byron (1815-52), Lady Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer was known for the world’s earliest writing for the ‘Analytical Engine’, which allowed the machine to calculate ‘Bernoulli numbers’.Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), the first woman to receive her degree as a Doctor of Medicine representing a historic moment in modern medicine and women’s liberation.
Despite the fact that inequality and sexism were ingrained in universal laws women were expected to fulfill their societal roles as well as paving their way into excelling in the scientific field. Some have done it impressively, including Marie Curie, the first women professor at the Sorbonne and a two-time Nobel Laureate:1903 Nobel Prize in physics and 1911 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Curie brought up her daughter Irene Joliot Currie to become a scientist and a Nobel prize winner and a peace activist. Irene was dedicated and interested in women’s rights and became a member of the Comité National de l’Union des Femmes Françaises and the World Peace Council.
Higher education establishments were also limited to women and many pressures stemming from both the society and laws were operated to reduce women’s attendance at scientific and mathematical education facilities. Let’s remember women who thrived during the 19th and 20th centuries, facing all these vast difficulties. Elizabeth Blackwell(1821-1910), was the first woman to earn an MD degree in the United States; she received 29 rejections from colleges and afterward received an acceptance from the Geneve NY college practically as a “joke”. Blackwell faced discrimination in college where professors enforced her to sit separately during lectures as well as excluding her from attending laboratory classes. On top of all, she was rejected and labeled as “bad” for having a voice in defying gender roles.
Looking back at all the struggles magnificent women have gone through is nothing but a push for societies to demand change, change that’ll result in eradicating all types of discrimination and inequality. Up to this day and especially in underdeveloped countries, legal systems put women at a disadvantage in the involvement of educational scientific programs; education shouldn’t only be equally available for both genders but also a factor that influences the distribution of social roles and positions. Tackling cultural obstacles and stereotypes is another challenge, as several societies are known to put down women who are eager in pursuing a career in science or engineering. Women are disregarded and neglected as they are only expected to take care of their families and nothing else. Along with women empowerment, the number of women who started to have careers in the scientific fields has increased. This rise can happen due to less restrictive societal norms, equity-promoting constitutions, and discouraging discrimination.
In many spheres of contemporary society, women make a great contribution to the growth and advancement of life. Science and technology, unfortunately, are the areas where women don’t have equal opportunities with men. Several potential reasons for this inequality are gender biases and the unequal distribution of resources. Even for women who advance in these careers, a marked disparity exists between their salaries and those of their female counterparts. However, through efforts, women have an opportunity in advancing in these fields. Several strategies can be used to alleviate the challenges women face in scientific and technological fields. Modern societies’ cultural and social norms should be altered, eradicating discrimination in any way or form, gender equality, and normal working conditions for both men and women should be maintained. Approaching the issues mentioned is essential for the growth and advancement of scientific fields.
