Matilda
Effect

Hero of the Matilda Effect page

What is the Matilda Effect?

Image representing the Matilda Effect

« Imagination is the faculty of discovery, par excellence. It is the one that penetrates the invisible worlds that surround us, the worlds of science. »

Quote from Ada Lovelace

Why does it exist?

The main causes of the Matilda Effect are gender stereotypes, the low presence of women in science, discrimination in institutions, as well as conscious or unconscious biases favoring men. This inequality is also seen in scientific citations and the low attribution of prizes like the Nobel.

Timeline of some Matildas

Ada Lovelace 1815

Ada Lovelace

Born in London

Nettie Stevens 1861

Nettie Stevens

Born in Cavendish

Alice Ball 1892

Alice Ball

Born in Seattle

Dorothy Hodgkin 1910

Dorothy Hodgkin

Born in Cairo

Rosalind Franklin 1920

Rosalind Franklin

Born in Notting Hill

Jocelyn Bell Burnell 1943

Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Born in Lurgan