Contemporary challenges

Women made the most of the opportunity that they were given when universities opened doors to them.

We can best understand this when we realise that a century has passed since our protagonists began their careers. Thus, only four generations are between us and the moment when education for women and their professional presence at universities was something exotic and revolutionary.

During the lifetime of these four generations, it became obvious and natural. Today female students and academic staff members pursue careers which are available for them thanks to their great-great-grandmothers who paved the way.

The stories and achievements of female scientists from one hundred years ago can inspire us and prove that universities are places which women, in the past and today, can co-create on an equal footing and in all academic fields. We believe that the story of our predecessors can be a valuable life lesson and a source of support for contemporary female researchers, as the ghosts of social attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices are still present today.