What is the 'Matilda Effect'? How science became a man's world by dominance, not by merit

Time of India

12-05-2025

Imagine a child asked to draw a scientist. More often than not, the result is a white-haired man in a lab coat. This seemingly innocent image reveals a deep-rooted problem in the way we imagine—and teach—science: the erasure of women from its story. Behind this erasure is a historical pattern of systemic exclusion now known as the
Matilda Effect
, a term that names the injustice of women's scientific contributions being overlooked, ignored, or credited to their male counterparts.
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This isn't just a historical oversight—it's a deliberate distortion. The dominance of men in science has long been treated as natural or inevitable. But the truth is far more uncomfortable: it was orchestrated. From scientific discoveries to academic publishing, from career advancement to Nobel Prizes, women have been systematically pushed to the margins, not because they lacked merit, but because the system was never designed for them to succeed.
The Forgotten Matildas of Science
The Matilda Effect takes its name from
Matilda Joslyn Gage
, a 19th-century suffragist and writer who railed against the exclusion of women inventors and scientists. In an 1870 essay,
Woman as Inventor
, she dismantled the myth that women lacked creativity or scientific aptitude, arguing that tradition and prejudice—not ability—had kept them out of recognition. But it was only in 1993 that historian Margaret Rossiter gave Gage's observations a name and academic legitimacy. Since then, the term has become a rallying cry for scholars and activists working to unearth the buried legacies of
female scientists
.
— TheAttagirls (@TheAttagirls)
Consider the case of
Lise Meitner
, a physicist whose work was central to the discovery of nuclear fission. In 1945, her colleague Otto Hahn received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the breakthrough. Meitner, exiled and working in Sweden, got no mention. Letters between them later revealed Hahn's limited grasp of the physics involved—yet history remembers his name, not hers. This wasn't an isolated incident. In fields from biology to astronomy, women like Esther Lederberg and Jocelyn Bell Burnell made landmark discoveries, only to watch the accolades go to men.
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Journalist Katie Hafner, producer of the podcast
Lost Women of Science
, describes this as 'a tragedy,' one that isn't confined to award snubs. 'It's about not being named in a study; to be just an asterisk or a footnote,' she says. The effect, she argues, has robbed generations of women of their due, while also denying the public a fuller understanding of how science actually works: as a collaborative, cumulative enterprise—not the solitary genius of the Great Man.
Why Representation Still Matters
While the 20th century saw major advances in women's education, their representation in STEM fields still lags significantly. According to UNESCO, women make up only 15% of students in computer science and 30% in engineering and construction. Even in more balanced sciences, like biology, the gender gap widens at higher levels of academia. In Spain, for instance, while women account for 49% of science students and 41% of researchers, few reach leadership positions or win major scientific awards.
Part of the problem, according to Maite Paramio, president of AMIT (Association of Women Researchers and Technologists), is visibility. 'Girls don't aspire to what they can't see,' she explains. Without role models in textbooks or classrooms, young women lose interest in STEM fields by the time they reach higher education. Her organization runs initiatives like
Una ingeniera en cada cole
('An engineer in every school'), where real-life female engineers meet students to share their journeys and dismantle the myths that still shape career choices.
Paramio also leads the #NoMoreMatildas campaign, aimed at rewriting textbooks and correcting the historical record. The goal isn't just to honor the past, but to shape the future. 'It's about persistence,' she says. 'Insisting and resisting. The change is in our hands.'
— WomenNewsVzla (@WomenNewsVzla)
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More Than Just a Prize: The Gender Citation Gap
Even today, the Matilda Effect seeps into academic publishing and citations. A growing body of research shows that papers authored by women are less likely to be cited than those by men, even when controlling for quality and topic. This citation gap affects career progression, grant approval, and public visibility—all essential ingredients in building a scientific legacy.
This is where modern institutions can either perpetuate or dismantle the pattern. Joana Frontela, head of R&D at energy company Cepsa, notes that change must start early: 'If children grow up seeing women scientists and engineers, they'll choose more freely.' Cepsa, in partnership with the Fundación Cepsa and the Inspiring Girls Foundation, supports mentorship programs, school visits, and STEM campaigns to promote gender inclusion.
A Future Worth Fighting For
Progress is real—but slow. According to the UN, gender parity in science could still be two centuries away at current rates. But unlike the past, the barriers are now being named—and challenged. The Matilda Effect is not just a critique of history; it's a call to action. By confronting how science was shaped by patriarchy, we can begin to rebuild it with fairness at its core.
Because when girls see themselves not just in the margins of the textbook, but in its central chapters, the world of science changes—for the better.
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