Windshield wipers, curling irons, the bra, the automatic dishwasher, luggage carriers, cancer-fighting drugs, pain relievers, home security systems—all of these creations and hundreds of other technologies either were originated or improved upon by women.

Many were not allowed to claim formal credit because, until the mid-19th century, anything a woman owned or invented was legally her husband's possession. Even after passage of the Married Women's Property Acts in England and the United States, women often were wary of seeming too intellectual or calling attention to themselves, attributes considered rude and unladylike, says Mary Ruthsdotter, projects director for the National Women's History Project, based in Windsor, California.

As a result, many women were not properly acknowledged for their inventions. Some did not apply for a patent and let their ideas be claimed by another person. Others allowed their work to be patented under a man's name.

Women who did take credit for inventions often were not considered as "real" inventors if their creation was a household item, such as a clothes wringer or refrigerator. Unfortunately, this bias persists.

Perikles skrev:Melitta Bentz (1873-1950) Kaffefilter

weasley skrev:Jag vill lägga till hon som uppfann BH-n (minns ej namnet)

weasley skrev:Marie Curie tycker jag också saknas i listan. Även om hon mestadels separerade radioaktiva ämnen krävdes det uppfinningsrikedom och nytänkande för att 1) klura ut hur ämnena skulle separeras 2) inse att det öht FINNS ämnen att separera!