The Missing Piece of History

Fayza  Elshafie

A woman scientist researched in revolutionary new studies that will change science forever. She devotes her life to her work, and eventually gets the greatest rewards of all: a new breakthrough. Her toil paved the way for many other scientists for years to come. About a hundred years later in a science classroom, students are learning about the very subject that the woman scientist innovated in, and there is even a section about the person who first engaged in the subject in the subject. But instead of the woman, a man is credited with the achievement.

Research shows that this is not an anomaly, and in fact, this type of situation has occurred many times throughout history. Women have been cut out from textbooks, their accomplishments deleted from the records of the past, and have not been credited for their services. The question is, why? Why have their actions not been recognized? Why are their names not immediately known like Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking? It is because they were born female. The deletion of women from history is a significant issue because without exemplars or role models to look up to, young girls feel as if females cannot lead the way to improve humankind. As said by Sally Ride, the first woman in space, “Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see.” That testimony explains why representation of women in history is important.

Some achievements of women have been stolen or erased from history, and an instance of a woman’s accomplishment being stolen lies within the story of Rosalind Franklin. She uncovered the shape of DNA using an x-ray image called Photo 51. Two men named James Watson and Francis Crick took her research and used it to win a Nobel Prize, not even crediting her. A woman erased from history was the first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. Her reign lasted for twenty years in which she ruled over Upper and Lower Egypt. Hatshepsut’s name and image have been almost completely erased or corroded by her successor, Thutmosis III. He had her name scratched off of tablets, and her female figure conformed to look like a man’s.

The problem of women being left out of history can be solved simply by going through historical documents and giving women the recognition they deserve. This issue is also being resolved by people on social media such as Twitter and Facebook sharing and spreading the stories of women like Rosalind Franklin. In addition, there are places such as Women’s History Museums in multiple locations that tell the tales of women that have been forgotten or left behind.