The Matilda Effect

Portrait of Margaret W. Rossiter — Margaret W. Rossiter, American historian of science

When science forgets its pioneers

Behind great discoveries, female researchers have been erased, ignored or dispossessed of their work. An insidious mechanism that questions our collective memory and our relationship with recognition. Phenomenon theorized by historian of science Margaret W. Rossiter

written by Khaoula, October 20, 2025

Matilda Joslyn Gage, 19th century photograph

Long-invisibilized women

The history of science includes many women whose discoveries have been minimized, attributed to men or forgotten.

In 1993, American historian Margaret Rossiter named this phenomenon the Matilda Effect, in honor of Matilda Joslyn Gage, a 19th-century feminist activist who already denounced the erasure of women in historical narratives.

A structural injustice

Unlike the Matthew Effect, which favors already famous scientists, the Matilda Effect reveals a structural injustice: women are deprived of the scientific recognition they deserve. This bias manifests itself through scientific publications, prize attribution, textbooks and even official speeches, including during Nobel Prize ceremonies.

Nobel Article — Article: When science refuses to award Nobel Prizes to women

Rehabilitation and memory

A memory to rebuild

Their stories, long relegated to the margins, are now being rehabilitated through exhibitions such as the CNRS Occitanie Ouest, which offers free educational resources to make these pioneers known.

The Matilda Effect is not a simple accident of history, but the symptom of a patriarchal system that runs through scientific institutions. It questions our relationship to memory, research and the culture of recognition. It invites us to rethink the criteria of legitimacy, to value invisibilized paths and to build a more inclusive history of science.