In 1979 after years of stagnant pay and increasing costs women were forced to join the workforce in record numbers. In the U.S. about 1.5 million more women worked at some time during the year than during 1978, and almost 700,000 more were working all year at full – time jobs.  Historically women were only allowed a tiny box of career choices outside the home.  And once they married, they were expected to quit their job, stay home to raise a family and take care of their husband.

Top occupations in 1924 to about the 1960s were domestic service (maids and servants), teachers, stenographers and typewriters, clerks, farm laborers, laundresses, saleswomen, bookkeepers, cashiers, cooks, farmers and nurses.

That’s a pretty small box to fit in if a woman had gifts to share with the world.  In the 1970’s while many women felt the freedom to pursue a career, others felt their choice had once again been usurped.  The ones that truly wanted to stay home and raise their family now felt they had no choice but to enter the workforce.  This shift in the ‘70s was just one chapter in a much longer story of constraint, and brilliance breaking through.

By the 1980s, those that embraced the possibilities of career had momentum, and weren’t slowing down. Women fought for equal pay, persuaded employers to enact family-friendly policies, and protected equal opportunity rules in the face of unfriendly male dominated governments.  Even though much progress has been made in western countries, there’s still a ways to go for work life balance, child care and pay.

I’ve often wondered how many female geniuses were denied their talents just because of her sex.  And how the world missed out because of it.  Even now how many extraordinary women throughout history do we not hear about? I am so grateful for women in history that had a very strong calling they simply could not ignore. 

Here’s a list of some women in history whose groundbreaking work in art, science or technology was stolen or attributed to men, often with credit delayed or never fully restored. These stories highlight how systemic biases erased their contributions, yet their legacies still live on.

1. Rosalind Franklin: (1920–1958) – Her X-ray diffraction images (notably “Photo 51”) were pivotal in revealing DNA’s double-helix structure. James Watson and Francis Crick used her data, shared without her consent, to publish their 1953 model, earning a 1962 Nobel Prize. Franklin’s role was downplayed until decades later with posthumous acknowledgment growing after Watson’s own admissions in The Double Helix (1968). Her work united the scientific community, though she was sidelined in her time.
2. Lise Meitner: (1878–1968) – Co-discovered nuclear fission with Otto Hahn, providing the theoretical explanation for his experiments. Fleeing Nazi Germany as a Jewish scientist, she was excluded from Hahn’s 1939 paper and his 1944 Nobel Prize. Her contributions were recognized later with the 1966 Enrico Fermi Award and element 109, meitnerium, named in 1997, long after her community-shaping discovery fueled atomic energy.
3. Jocelyn Bell Burnell: (1943–present) – As a graduate student, she discovered pulsars in 1967, but her advisor, Antony Hewish, and Martin Ryle took the 1974 Nobel Prize. Her persistence built a legacy; she received a $3 million Breakthrough Prize in 2018, which she donated to support diversity in science, fostering a new community of researchers.
4. Ada Lovelace: (1815–1852) – Wrote the first computer algorithm in the 1840s for Babbage’s Analytical Engine, envisioning computers beyond calculations. Historians long credited Charles Babbage, but her notes, rediscovered and re-evaluated in the 20th century, show her as the “first programmer.” Her foresight laid groundwork for tech communities today.
5. Alice Ball: (1892–1916) – Developed the “Ball Method,” the first effective leprosy treatment, by making chaulmoogra oil injectable. After her death at 24, Arthur Dean claimed it as the “Dean Method.” A colleague corrected the record in the 1920s, but full recognition came much later, with the University of Hawaii honoring her in 2000. Her work saved lives.
6. Margaret Knight: (1838–1914) – Invented a machine for flat-bottomed paper bags in 1868, but Charles Annan stole her design while it was being patented. She won a lawsuit in 1871, securing her patent, yet her broader contributions (27 patents) were overshadowed by male inventors like Edison in her lifetime. Her innovation shaped everyday commerce.
7. Hedy Lamarr: (1914–2000) – Co-invented frequency-hopping with George Antheil during WWII, a foundation for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The U.S. Navy ignored her patent, using it without credit until the 1990s. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014, posthumously linking her to modern connectivity communities.
8. Nettie Stevens: (1861–1912) – Discovered in 1905 that sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes, but E.B. Wilson, a prominent male colleague, published similar findings and got the credit. Her work was rediscovered in genetics circles later. Nettie’s work shaped the foundation of modern genetics.

These women faced theft or erasure, yet their delayed recognition, sometimes only after relentless advocacy by others, shows how their brilliance endured. They built intellectual and practical communities, often unknowingly, as later generations reclaimed their stories. These thefts weren’t accidents, they were symptoms of a world that couldn’t imagine women as creators.  Women’s contributions, even when stolen, still weave the fabric of progress.

Here’s a list of some remarkable women in history who made significant contributions to improve life in various ways through science, social reform, technology, and more. Their work often fostered community advancing knowledge, equality, and the human condition.

• Marie Curie: (1867–1934) – Discovered radioactivity and the elements polonium and radium, pioneering cancer treatments and advancing medical science. Her work saved lives and inspired scientific communities.

• Emmeline Pankhurst: (1858-1928) – A leader in the British suffragette movement, instrumental in women gaining the right to vote in Britain.

• Florence Nightingale: (1820–1910) – Revolutionized nursing and      healthcare by introducing sanitation practices during the Crimean War, reducing death rates. She built a foundation for modern nursing communities.

• Amelia Earhart: (1897-1937) – An American aviation pioneer, Earhart became the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also known for setting numerous aviation records and inspiring generations of women to pursue their dreams.

• Virginia Woolf: (1882-1941) – A British essayist, novelist, and short story writer, known for her modernist style and exploration of female consciousness.

• Mother Teresa: (1910-1997) – A Roman Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity and dedicated her life to serving the poor, sick, and marginalized, particularly in India. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work.

• Edith Cowan: (1861-1932) – An Australian social reformer and suffragist who campaigned for women’s rights and played a significant role in the development of Australia’s social policies.

• Eleanor Roosevelt: (1884 – 1962) – Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms as president from 1933 to 1945. Eleanor Roosevelt served as the first Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights and played an instrumental role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• Indira Gandhi: (1917-1984) – Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. Indira Gandhi improved conditions in India through the Green Revolution, which introduced high-yield varieties of crops and modern agricultural techniques.

• Margaret Thatcher: (1925-2013) – Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. To her supporters, she was a revolutionary figure who transformed Britain’s stagnant economy, tamed the unions and re-established the country as a world power. Together with US presidents Reagan and Bush, she helped bring about the end of the Cold War.

• Simone de Beauvoir: (1908-1986) – Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist. Simone de Beauvoir’s most notable work is “The Second Sex” (1949), a foundational text of feminist philosophy that analyzes women’s oppression and explores the concept of gender as a social construct.

• Frida Kahlo: (1907-1954) – Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Frida Kahlo’s most notable works known for their exploration of identity, pain, and cultural duality.

• Jane Addams: (1860-1935) – Co-founded Hull House in Chicago, a settlement house that supported immigrants and the poor, fostering community through education and social services. She also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

• Elizabeth Blackwell: (1821-1910) – Became the first woman in the U.S. to earn a medical degree in 1849, opening doors for women in medicine and improving healthcare access.

• Rachel Carson: (1907-1964) – Authored Silent Spring (1962), sparking the environmental movement. Her work united communities to protect the planet.

• Malala Yousafzai: (1997-present) – Advocated for girls’ education after surviving a Taliban attack in 2012, inspiring global communities to support learning and equality. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
• Katherine Johnson: (1918-2020) – Calculated trajectories for NASA’s early space missions, including Apollo 11. Her precision helped humanity reach the stars and built trust in scientific collaboration between men and women and people of color.

Of course there are many more throughout history.  It took a very determined woman to embrace her passion while working through many obstacles that cleared a pathway for others to follow.  Now women in many countries enjoy greater freedom in their chosen vocations.

Sadly some countries have gone backwards in women’s rights.  Where the work of Malala Yousafzai promoted the right for girls to have an education, after the Afghan war ended, the Taliban returned to even tighter subjugation of their female population.  Perhaps in time these countries will eventually let go of their indoctrination and allow equality for both sexes. 

When women are allowed to express their gifts freely, I think it is clear the whole planet benefits.

When I was younger it was very difficult to find any information on extraordinary women anywhere. There are now many wonderful books and articles on great women of modern history.  I am so grateful these women had a very strong calling they simply could not fit into a tiny box dictated by society. 

To see 30 more outstanding Canadian women explore this site below;

Canada’s Great Women

In a perfect world, the thirty women on this list would be household names. But for too long history textbooks have focused on great men, to the exclusion of all others.

Written by Canada’s History

— Posted January 8, 2016

https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/women/canada-s-great-women

Today Female-Dominated Professions in western countries have grown to include;

• Skincare Specialists.
• Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers.
• Legal, Medical, Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistant.  
• Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners.
• Speech-Language Pathologists.
• Childcare Workers.
• Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists. 
• Billing and Posting Clerk.
• Phlebotomists.
• Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Architects.
• Flight Attendants, Pilots, Astronauts.
• Owners, Entrepreneurs.
• And much more!

It is my hope this article will inspire my fellow women to follow your passion no matter what life throws at you.  We need you!

Who’s a woman in history you think deserves more recognition?