Imagine if Einstein, the world's most famous scientist, had been born a woman. Do you think she would be as popular or remembered as Albert Einstein? We probably wouldn't know who Einstein is today. This is because most likely the merits of those discoveries would have been taken by a fellow male researching this phenomenon, known as the Matilda effect. In honor of Matilda Joslyn Gage, the Matilda Effect is the name for a type of discrimination suffered by many female scientists. Throughout history, many women researchers have been denied their contributions and the credit for their findings which was given to their fellow male researchers. This injustice was highly denounced by Matilda as the systematic ignorance of the findings of brilliant women scientists throughout history hindered them from becoming role models for all young girls. Children, young boys and girls should be equally given the opportunity to develop to their fullest in their environment, which would necessitate a healthy and inclusive society where no gender is assigned to talent.
Often people associate science and math fields with “male” and humanities and arts fields with “female”. This bias not only affects individuals’ attitudes toward others but may also influence girls’ and women’s likelihood of cultivating their own interest in math and science. We can see this consequence when the female presence in educational material only reaches 7.6%. A research conducted (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258181938_The_Influence_of_Female_Role_Models_on_Women%27s_Implicit_Science_Cognitions) showed that the major factor in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) gender gap is the lack of female role models. Consequently, only 20.5% of students that enroll in science degrees are women. It is vital to understand that such gendered barriers are already presented to children at a young age. Thus, this fuels an inadequate encouragement of girls to pursue mathematics and science at the early school-going age, or a lack of gender diverse practices within the workplace. Consequently, this diminishes the ability of young girls to envision themselves in positions that are primarily seen as male fields. In contrast, it was found that when women and girls are exposed to successful females in STEM fields, they are more likely to have pro-science career aspirations. When women see other women in science, they are less likely to associate these fields with masculinity and more likely to have confidence in their own skills.
To diversify the STEM fields we must take a hard look at the stereotypes and biases that still pervade our culture and encourage more girls and women to enter these vital fields by pioneering women who should have had more recognition and who now can become an inspiration to new generations of girls and boys, to remind us that science is open to everybody.
Three examples of women that were disregarded for their discoveries are mentioned. In 1953, Rosalind Franklin with the help of X-ray techniques, discovered that the structure of DNA is a double helix shaped molecule that transmits genetic information. The importance of this is because it explains why all living things resemble their parents. However, for decades the head of the laboratory and two of her partners who were all men were recognized for the discovery and awarded the Nobel prize. Secondly, Lise Meitner performed extensive work on nuclear physics and radioactivity. Her collaborator was later awarded the Nobel prize for her discovery of nuclear fission. Lastly, and very importantly, in 1964, Margarita Salas discovered a particular molecule of a virus that she was investigating which led to the creation of Polymerase Chain reaction Techniques (PCR) which today enable us to diagnose coronavirus.
To conclude, it is vital in order to create an inclusive and rich environment for future generations, to fight for a non-gendered education towards future academic interests in order to protect children’s rights to be allowed to develop to their fullest potential!
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