“If women are really as smart as you say they are, why aren’t there more women in history discovering and inventing things?” There are! You just don’t know about them because not only have they been robbed of agency, individuality and equal opportunities; men have also robbed women of their scientific discoveries and legacies. It’s a classic case of  “a woman cracks a joke, the man says it louder, gets all the credit and then turns to the crowd claiming he’s never met a funny woman.” Let’s look at some remarkable women from history and find out who actually worked, and who just took the credit!

Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Zelda Fitzgerald was a writer, painter, and dancer whose life was marked by creativity, ambition, and tragedy, often overshadowed by her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Much of her work was uncredited, as Scott used her diaries and letters in his novels, including ‘This Side of Paradise’ and ‘The Beautiful and Damned.’ Zelda later accused him of "plagiarizing" her life for his success, leading her to write ‘Save Me the Waltz’, a semi-autobiographical novel recounting her struggles, marriage, and mental health challenges. Furious at her work’s overlap with his own, Scott demanded changes to her manuscript, seeing her life as his creative domain. This conflict reflected deeper issues in their relationship, as Scott's career declined and Zelda's mental health deteriorated. While she continued to create, Zelda was confined to psychiatric institutions for much of her later life.

Kamala Sohonie and Dr. C.V. Raman

Kamala Sohonie was a pioneering biochemist and the first Indian woman to earn a Ph.D. in a scientific field. Despite her brilliance, she faced significant opposition from Dr. C.V. Raman, her advisor and a Nobel laureate, who initially refused her admission to the Indian Institute of Science, doubting a woman's capability in scientific research. After persistent appeals, Raman admitted her on a one-year probationary basis, during which she excelled and went on to complete her Ph.D. Sohonie’s groundbreaking research on the nutritional benefits of foods led to the discovery of ‘Neera’, a drink rich in vitamins and a crucial source of nutrition. Her work laid the foundation for nutritional biochemistry in India, yet it was initially overshadowed, only gaining wider recognition in later years.

Tabitha Babbitt and Walter Taylor

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The Circular Saw, a crucial tool in woodworking, is credited to Walter Taylor, who patented a version in 1813. However, its true origins trace back to Tabitha Babbitt, who invented the Circular Saw in the early 19th century to improve the efficiency of cutting wood, an essential task in her community of The Shakers. Babbitt demonstrated her invention to her fellow Shakers, but her revolutionary idea was largely overlooked at the time, and she did not pursue a patent for her design. While Walter Taylor’s later patent helped popularize the circular saw, Babbitt’s groundbreaking contribution is often forgotten. 

Sophia Tolstaya and Leo Tolstoy

Sophia Tolstaya and Leo Tolstoy’s marriage was marked by intense love, creativity, and hardship. Married in 1862, they collaborated on much of Tolstoy’s writing, particularly ‘War and Peace’. Tolstoy relied heavily on Sophia, who copied the entire manuscript seven times by hand—each version with extensive revisions. Sophia managed not only the household and their many children but also dedicated herself to Tolstoy’s work, often without recognition. In 1910, after years of growing distance and philosophical conflict, Tolstoy left Sophia, fleeing to seek solitude. He died shortly afterwards at a remote railway station, leaving Sophia devastated. Despite her sacrifices and integral role in his success, she was left with little more than the heartbreak of his departure, her life’s work largely overshadowed by his legacy.

Kadambini Ganguly and her groundbreaking work in Science

Kadambini Ganguly, one of the first female doctors in British India, was a pioneering physician who broke barriers in medicine and women’s rights. After graduating from Calcutta Medical College in 1886, she became one of the first Indian women to practice Western medicine. Despite her groundbreaking work in gynecology and public health, Ganguly often faced intense criticism and skepticism. Male contemporaries, including some in the medical field, overshadowed her contributions, attributing medical advancements to male doctors while questioning her competence. Today, however, she is recognized for her resilience in overcoming societal norms, contributing to women's healthcare, and inspiring future generations of female doctors. Her work is celebrated for paving the way for Indian women in medicine, establishing her legacy as a true pioneer.

Mary Ann Evans and George Eliot

Mary Ann Evans adopted the pen name ‘George Eliot’ to be taken more seriously as a writer in Victorian England, where women authors often faced prejudice. Born in 1819, Evans was an intellectually curious woman who defied the era’s gender norms, engaging deeply with literature, philosophy, and politics. Despite her considerable talent, she knew that the male-dominated literary world often dismissed women’s work as frivolous, limited to romance or domestic themes. Writing as “George Eliot” allowed her novels—like ‘Middlemarch’ and ‘Silas Marner’—to be judged on their intellectual and narrative merit rather than through the lens of her gender. ‘George Eliot’ became known as one of the most important English novelists of her time, allowing Evans to secure a lasting place in literary history, free from the limitations that society imposed on women writers.

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Henry Gauthier-Villars

Colette married Henry Gauthier-Villars aka Willy in 1893, when she was only 20, and he quickly saw potential in her storytelling talent. Under financial strain and eager to produce popular work, Willy pressured Colette to write semi-autobiographical novels, and rather than publishing them under her name, he released the books under his own, reaping both fame and profits. He would reportedly lock her in a room, sometimes for hours or even days, until she produced enough writing for him to use. The “Claudiine” series, based on Colette’s life and thoughts, became wildly popular in France, turning Willy into a literary sensation. After years of this exploitation, Colette grew increasingly resentful and eventually sought independence. She separated from Willy in 1906, reclaiming her identity as a writer which gained her admiration as one of France’s most celebrated authors.

Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage

Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, was a mathematician and writer often regarded as the first computer programmer due to her pioneering work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine. Lovelace translated an article by Italian engineer Luigi Federico Federico and expanded it with her own notes, detailing an algorithm for the machine to compute Bernoulli numbers. This work is considered the first instance of computer programming. Despite her groundbreaking contributions, Lovelace’s achievements were largely overshadowed by her male contemporaries. Babbage himself received the lion's share of credit for the Analytical Engine, with Lovelace's role often minimised. The male-dominated fields of science and technology in the 19th century did not afford her the recognition she deserved during her lifetime, and her work remained largely unacknowledged for many years after her death in 1852.

These stories exemplify the challenges women faced in gaining recognition for their innovations or work, highlighting how history frequently credits male figures while overlooking the foundational work of women. In other words, “How many Einsteins have spent their lives washing dishes? How many Mozarts bent over stoves instead of pianos, only because they had the misfortune of being born a woman?” 

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References:

Scroll | Mills Archive | Smart Bitches Trashy Books | Literary Ladies Guide | BBC | Stephan Wolfram

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