As a kid, I found it odd that all the famous scientists we learned about were men. From Einstein to Newton, from Watson to Darwin, female scientists rarely got a mention.
When I asked about them, I often heard things like, “Women weren’t allowed to do science back then,” or “Women aren’t suited for science like men.” The second statement is false. The first one is, unfortunately, true.
For a long time, women in Western countries couldn’t attend school or receive an education. It took major effort for women to access higher education and scientific research.
In the United States in 1870, only 3% of college students were women.
The University of Cambridge allowed women to attend lectures in the late 19th century, but they couldn’t receive full degrees until 1948.
Today, in some parts of the world, women are still denied education.
The Matilda effect happens when female scientists’ achievements go unrecognised or are wrongly credited to men.
Named in honour suffragette, activist, and writer Matilda Joslyn Gage, the Matilda effect shows the discrimination faced by women in fields of STEM. Such bias stops women from getting the recognition they deserve for their hard work.
Today, if you search for “Top 10 Business Leaders in 2026,” “Tech CEOs Leading the World,” or “The Highest-Paid Tech CEOs,” you won’t find many women on those lists.
So what happened to women in tech?
“Women aren’t suited for tech like men…” Yet every day, more women are building, leading, and shaping the future.
The real question is: Is that true, or is it a visibility and opportunity gap?
Globally, women are about 30% less likely than men to start or manage a new business in OECD countries. Women receive only ~2 % of global venture capital investment, compared with the vast majority going to male founders. In tech only ~1 % of total funds raised go to women-founded tech startups, and those that do raise money tend to receive much smaller amounts (e.g., €4 M vs. €17 M for male-only teams).
“She Leads – Women who Inspire“ aims to share stories of women who dare! Women who challenge the status quo, dare to break the norms, speak up, follow their dreams and pilot new ideas.
SheLeads is issued monthly and features interviews with women who innovate, lead, and pioneer. “Women who Inspire“.
SheLeads is a ULEAD initiative.
