Written history tends to ignore the many contributions of women scientists and inventors. The next time you turn on the heat in your car on a cold winter morning, you can thank a woman, Margaret Wilcox. Your windshield wipers were invented by Mary Anderson. Other women invented the life raft, the fire escape, the machine that makes paper shopping bags, the hypodermic needle, electric refrigerators, and solar heating for homes. The actress Hedy Lamarr invented a new form of military communications for controlling torpedoes. Imagine where we would be if women had been educated for the last few millennia. Here are several more great women of science.
When I was in school, the history books ignored women, except for one or two.
Prior to 1800, there are few historical references to the contributions of women. However, during the nineteenth century, female inventors, mathematicians, doctors, and scientists proliferated. To double the human resources of the planet only required the introduction of education for women. It was instantly obvious—at least to the women—that, with education, they were the intellectual equals of men. Today we are beginning to reap the benefits from the contributions of that previously disregarded half of humanity.
Women have surpassed men in education
Today women around the world, and a few men, are celebrating their achievements, yet they still run a small percentage of companies, hold few elected government posts, and often get paid less when they do. The forces that are changing our sexist attitudes are visible in every quarter of progressive societies. Women are becoming educated, preparing themselves for the opportunities that are becoming more and more available, and demanding change. In some parts of the world, there are more women enrolled in colleges than men, something unheard of only a few decades ago. In 2009, women graduates exceeded the men in more than twelve countries, including the US, UK, Brazil, Finland, Spain, Canada, Chile, Australia, Germany, Mexico and France. Estonia’s graduates were seventy percent female. By 2015, women outnumbered men in several Muslim countries: Kuwait (64%), Qatar (63%), United Arab Emirates (60%), Palestine (56%), Lebanon (54%), Saudi Arabia (52%), and Jordan (50%).(1) Even in Iran, women are reported to comprise sixty percent of college students although the male culture forces them into traditional roles upon graduation.
Tribal attitudes about women
There are many parts of the world where women are intentionally held back. It is easy to criticize the tribal cultures in the Muslim world for their treatment of women. This criticism is, however, hypocritical. Western cultures have historically held women back for similar reasons, though to a lesser degree today. St. Paul said that women should not speak in church.(2) Misogynistic clergy transformed his remark, addressed to a single Corinth church, into a global rule that prevented women from becoming priests. Even today, some churches remain male-dominated with no other justification than this one verse. For the last two thousand years, there have been nonsensical pronouncements by various clergymen that women have no souls. Luckily, these ideas have not prevailed in the wider church, although the influence of these ignorant men continues to pollute church doctrine.
Muslims who hide women under oppressive clothing and limit their educational and professional opportunities are maintaining the pagan, pre-Islamic culture where women were considered cattle. In the Qur’an, Muhammad expanded the rights of women, but asked them to be distinctive in the modesty of their dress(3). The decision to hide them completely from view came from the pre-Islamic culture, not from Muhammad. While Christian countries have embraced education for girls in the 19th century, a few Muslim countries remain in pre-Islamic times. In the Hadith (traditions) of Muhammad, He says that all Muslims must be educated, even slave girls(4). Men who prevent the education of women are not Islamic; they are using pre-Islamic pagan reasoning.
Such tribal attitudes in all cultures are dying along with the old men who maintain the misogyny.
Thanks for reading,
Ron
(1) Source: UN Statistics Division
(2) 1st Corinthians 14:34
(3) Qur’an 24:31
(4) Al-Tirmithi, Hadith 218, also Kanz al-Ummal as reported by Abd’u’llah ibn Mas’ud
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