Women and science haven’t always had the easiest relationship.
Even today as people, women only make up 14.4 per cent of people in STEM careers according to the latest statistics from the Women in Science and Engineering campaign.
But still, for centuries there have been women who were determined and did prove all the doubters wrong.
Here are some of the biggest achievements in science done by women.
1) Discovered two elements and died from the cause – Marie Curie
She quite literally lived and died for her work. Marie Curie discovered two radioactive elements – polonium and radium – and won two Nobel prizes before succumbing to radioactivity exposure in 1934.
To this day her notebooks are too radioactive to handle without specialist equipment. The Marie Curie charity that provides care and support to people with terminal illnesses and their families is named after her.
2) First female qualified doctor – Elizabeth Anderson
Elizabeth was inspired to become a doctor after meeting the first female doctor in the U.S, Elizabeth Blackwell, giving her a resolute determination to become a doctor herself, despite all obstacles.
When no medical school would allow her to study alongside male doctors, she attempted a number of strategies to become qualified. As a nursing student at Middlesex Hospital she would sneak into medical lectures, and even got herself banned from classes with male colleagues after complaints.
Even after she got a medical degree in Paris, she wasn’t allowed on the British Medical Register until an act legalising women entering the profession was passed.
A lesson in never giving up.
3) Worked on the first atom bomb – Chien-Shiung Wu
Often referred to as the First Lady of Physics, Chien-Shiung has become known for her work on the Manhattan project that led to the first and so far only use of nuclear weapons in warfare.
She caught the attention of the U.S. government for her work in nuclear fission and was invited to work on the project at Columbia University. She helped to develop a process that enabled large extractions of uranium to be used as the bomb’s fuel.
After WWII, she remained at Colombia until her retirement.
4) Developed the drug that first gave hope to people with HIV and AIDS – Gertrude B Elion
![Gertrude Belle Elion (January 23, 1918 - February 21, 1999)[1] was an American biochemist and pharmacologist, who shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with George H. Hitchings and Sir James Black. Working alone as well as with Hitchings and Black, Elion developed a multitude of new drugs, using innovative research methods that would later lead to the development of the AIDS drug AZT Source: Wikipedia LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_B._Elion](https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/ad_184427207.jpg?w=620&h=746&crop=1)
After her retirement in 1983, she oversaw the adaption of azidothymide, which would become the first drug to be used to treat AIDS.
In particular, it reduced the replication of the virus in a person’s system and prevented transmission between mother and child during birth.
5) Discovered comets and was the UK’s first female recognised scientist – Caroline Hershe
The German British astronomer’s most significant contributions to science were a number of comets, including the periodic comet 35P/Herschel–Rigollet, though she is remembered also for being the first woman to be recognised and paid for her achievements, being awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Oh, and she lived until she was 97. What a badass.
6) First person to be accepted in chimpanzee society – Jane Goodall
Her groundbreaking research and unusual methods have brought her criticism and praise alike.
During her 55-year-study of chimpanzees and their behaviour in social and family situations, contemporaries expressed concern over her method of naming the animals she was examining instead of numbering them.
She observed human behaviours among chimpanzees, including hugs, kisses and pats on the back.
7) Paved the way for IVF treatment – Anne McClaren
Parents everywhere who needed medical help to conceive their much-wanted children have this woman to thank.
Her work as a leading figure in developmental biology, such as mouse embryonic transfer, helped to develop the techniques used in human IVF.
A firm believer in family time, as a professor she always ticked off married students working late in the laboratory, insisting they should be at home during the evenings.
Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2015/10/14/7-of-the-biggest-achievements-of-women-in-science-5437256/#ixzz4BdvvcN7L
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