Preface: Does History Matter in Gender Psychology?

According to UNESCO, only 29.3% of people engaged in scientific research worldwide are women (UIS 2019). Even in regions with strong scientific infrastructure such as North America and Western Europe, a deep abyss of gender still persists. Moreover, it is not unusual that the names of female scientists are less well known to the public. If asked about female pioneers in science, you might recall a few female Western scientists such as the physicist Lise Meitner or Marie Curie, who won the Nobel Prize twice; but do you know any Eastern female pioneer? Have you ever heard of the Ancient Egyptian Physician Merit-Ptah or female pioneers from the Islamic Golden Age such as the tenth-century female astronomer Maryam Al-Astrulabi or Fatima Al-Fihri, who founded one of the world’s oldest Universities in Morocco?

This book addresses this crucial knowledge gap and highlights the contributions
of Eastern female pioneers from Ancient Egypt to modern times.