Women Who Made a Difference

Women Who Made a Difference

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Women Who Made a Difference

Over the years, women and men have made significant contributions to the global society. Such contributions have elicited positive impacts among individuals based on the manner they have assisted experts in solving problems within different segments such as the health and technological sectors. Men, such as Robert Parkinson, Larry Page and Bill Gates, have availed their knowledge to people by engaging in the development of processes and devices that have sparked countless innovations all over the globe. Similarly, women have not been absent from the establishment of significant and positive interventions. In relation to the field of technical education, these women have made considerable strides into various aspects of this field including physics, zoology and medicine. Without their inventions, a large part of the innovations created within these areas would not have been possible. These women comprise Marie Curie, Jane Goodall and Elizabeth Blackwell.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was the first lady to discover radioactivity. Born in Poland in 1867, Curie majored as a physicist as well as chemist and became the first person, alongside Pierre Curie, to champion research on this subject (Goldsmith, 2005). Nonetheless, Marie faced an array of challenges during her research on radioactivity. Foremost, much of the scientific study done on this subject was incomplete since past researchers did not understand the mechanism behind radiation. Furthermore, she did not possess an adequate laboratory facility for testing her radiation hypotheses. The only facility that she had access to possessed poor ventilation and was not waterproof, further limiting her efforts towards researching radioactivity. However, Curie was able to conduct successful research on the subject based on the support she received from her husband, Pierre Curie. In addition to this, Curie was also able to discover the importance of uranium as a radioactive element based on the research of individuals such as Wilhelm Roentgen (Goldsmith, 2005).

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall is also another woman who made a difference based on her study of primates. Her study of chimpanzees provided scientists and wildlife specialists all over the globe with new information concerning primates. Indeed, Goodall was able to discover that chimpanzees, similar to other primates, possessed corresponding hominid traits to human beings. Not only were these animals capable of rationality, they also had emotions, intelligence and developed close ties within their families and societies. Regardless of her contributions, Goodall also faced problems during her research. First, she studied the animals for 45 years in her new and harsh environment in order to develop her hypothesis. Moreover, her methodology also encountered negative reviews from critics who asserted that her research methods were unconventional. Nonetheless, with the support of notable researcher, Louis Leakey, and other primatologists such as John Napier and Osman Hill, Goodall’s journey into studying chimpanzees became much easier and possible (Sicotte, 2008).

Elizabeth Blackwell

Lastly, Elizabeth Blackwell was also another woman that made significant difference in the field of medicine. Apparently, Blackwell was the first woman to hold a doctor position in the United States. Apart from this, she was also a leader in the education of women within the field of medicine. However, amidst her success within the American and global medical fraternity, Blackwell encountered problems at a certain point in her life. For instance, she was considered an outsider in medical schools. In addition to this, she also faced rejection even after graduation. In another instances, in her quest to establish a medical practice, Blackwell was unable to receive an office space as well as lodging (Ellis, 2010). Because of this, she was forced to purchase a house, which would enable her to practice medicine. Hence, in 1868, she succeeded in opening a medical college for women with her sister (Ellis, 2010).

Conclusion

In conclusion, women have made large strides, which have established consistent innovations in various fields over the years. Women such as Marie Curie, Jane Goodall and Elizabeth Blackwell dedicated most of the primal years into studying certain aspects that have had positive implications in their fields of research. By researching on radioactivity, primates and medicine, Curie, Goodall and Blackwell contributed important discoveries that continue to elicit a positive impact and making a difference in every region of the world to this date.

References

Ellis, H. (2010). Elizabeth Blackwell: a pioneer female medical graduate. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 71(5), 281.

Goldsmith, B. (2005). Obsessive genius: The inner world of Marie Curie. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Sicotte, P. (2008). Defining Jane Goodall (Peterson’s Jane Goodall). Current Anthropology, 49(2), 338.