The Matilda effect descri­bes the sys­te­ma­tic discri­mi­na­ti­on of fema­le sci­en­tists. Its name stems from Matilda Joslyn Gage, a femi­nist and socio­lo­gist, who oppo­sed the widespread sen­ti­ment that women were not sui­ta­ble for sci­en­ti­fic work. This arti­cle will high­light some of the extra­or­di­na­ry sci­en­ti­fic achie­ve­ments and con­tri­bu­ti­ons made by women in science.