Do you know how many Nobel prizes have been awarded to men in their more than 120-year history?What about women? The ratio is alarming: 817 times for them and only 47 for them. The Matilda effect has arisen to recognize this type of gender discrimination in the field of science.
It is used to report cases where women scientists receive fewer rewards, credit and recognition than men, even if they do the same or even better work. It is also curious that the origin of this term comes from the male corollary.
- To understand the Matilda effect.
- It is necessary to explain the birth of its male analogue: the Mateus effect.
- Robert K.
- Merton.
- The sociologist who created the term.
- Used The Words of St.
- Matthew to describe a phenomenon that spread to many facets of life.
- In his parable of talents.
- The evangelist announces a lesson that invites reflection.
So take off the talent and give it to the ten. For all who have it shall receive it and have it abundantly; but what he doesn’t have, even what he’s got will be taken away from him. Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of Talent?
It refers to the less attention, consideration and recognition that the works of unknown professionals receive, which is demonstrated compared to similar works of importance made by others, already consecrated or famous.
Thus, we try to explain why the works of anonymous people do not have as many mentions as those of well-known authors, even when they are of lower quality, so they are relegated to the background because they have no sponsors or because they are still promising young people, not dedicated authors, so they are hidden by the giant shadow of authors who are already succeeding.
The well-known Matilda effect was born in 1993 by Margaret W. Rossiter, who used the previous Matthew effect as a basis for denouncing and naming contempt for women’s work for the benefit of men.
I wanted to denounce situations in which scientists’ discoveries and research are excluded on gender beyond quality grounds. Therefore, his credit and recognition are less than if the achievement was made by a man.
In this sense, the incorporation of women into the scientific field was done by dripping, in some countries they cannot yet pursue a career or drive, today they can go to university and do a doctorate, but the conditions in which they are still not the same as those of men.
The advantage men enjoy is not just in terms of premiums. In addition to rewards, salaries, jobs, finances, or publications are different variables in which men, just for gender, start with an advantage.
With this, brilliant physicists, chemists, sociologists or doctors stand in the way, who have their work buried in the hands of men, relegated to the bottom of the drawer or despised without further explanation, so they find themselves without recognition. they deserved it.
Rossiter called this phenomenon the Matilda effect, especially in honor of Matilda Joslyn Gage, activist, free thinker, prolific author and pioneer of American sociology, who was one of the pioneers in the fight for equal opportunities between men and women.
Among some of her initiatives, she highlighted her support for Victoria Woodhull, one of the first women to fight to be president of the White House, a large mother of a large family, she has published numerous books denouncing the lack of freedom and calling for equal rights for women.
Her work elevated her to the position of President for many years of the National Association of Women’s Suffrage, from that moment on the Matilda effect was used to cite all cases in which women, in the development of their profession, had to face this injustice.
Cases that demonstrate the Matilda effect are not limited to centuries past. Today, the unfair situation faced by women in many aspects of their daily lives is obvious. Work is just one more example of where they are somehow discriminated against.
Let’s set an example by continuing with the Nobel Prizes, the most prestigious prizes given to scientific professionals. Lise Meitner and Rosalind Franklin made decisive contributions, respectively, to the discovery of nuclear fission and the double helix structure of DNA.
Guess what! Neither has been recognized by the Nobel, however, it was his peers taking advantage of his discoveries, in fact, Meitner is one of the most illustrative cases of how the scientific results achieved by women are totally ignored by the committee of these awards.
In this sense, the book “The Lies” is highly recommended. About women? by S. Garca Dauder and Eulalia Pérez Sedeo. The book details the Matilda. Il and also includes many other accounts of discrimination against women.
In this sense, the truth is that we have made great progress on the way to the day, with close to hope, where the possibilities will be equal, but the truth is that there is still a long way to go before scientific progress does not occur. Therefore, we will all be clear that they should be appreciated more for what they mean than by who created them.