Introducing IDEAS | How a historian found the lost women of science

This episode of CBC's Ideas, hosted by Nala Ayyad, tells the powerful story of historian Margaret Rossiter, whose groundbreaking work in the 1970s challenged the prevailing belief that women had no significant role in science. Initially dismissed by male peers at Yale who claimed there were no women scientists beyond Marie Curie, Rossiter spent decades uncovering the hidden contributions of hundreds of women across disciplines like astronomy, chemistry, and geology. Her meticulous archival research revealed systemic erasure—what she named the 'Matilda Effect'—a phenomenon where women's achievements are overlooked, minimized, or credited to men. Inspired by 19th-century suffragist Matilda Joslin Gage, who fought for women's intellectual and economic rights, Rossiter gave a name to a widespread injustice that resonates far beyond science. Her work not only reshaped the history of science but also empowered generations of women to recognize their own overlooked contributions. The episode highlights how Rossiter’s persistence, curiosity, and refusal to accept 'no' as an answer created a lasting legacy, influencing academia, activism, and popular culture—from podcasts like Lost Women of Science to viral TikTok content. Beyond the personal journey of Rossiter, the episode explores broader structural barriers: gendered academic hierarchies, nepotism rules that disadvantaged married women, and the siloing of women into 'women's fields' like home economics. Through interviews with colleagues like Sally Gregory Kolstead and scholars like Ellen Abrams, the narrative reveals how Rossiter mentored a new generation of feminist historians and helped institutionalize the study of women in science. The story culminates in a tribute to Rossiter’s enduring impact—honored through the Rossiter Prize, ongoing academic courses, and grassroots movements like the 'On This Day She' calendar. Ultimately, the episode is a call to action: to keep looking, to keep questioning, and to recognize that when you keep searching, you’ll find more and more—because the women were never gone, they were just hidden.