A few weeks ago, I watched a group of men mock a woman online simply because they disagreed with her opinion. Their closing argument?
“If not for men, she wouldn’t even have the internet that she’s using to publish this podcast.”
Now, I enjoy a good debate. I also enjoy irony. And this one was rich.
Because if we’re going to play the “who built what” game, we might want to remember that the technology that makes wireless internet possible traces back to frequency-hopping communication systems developed by a woman called Hedy Lamarr.
Yes. A woman. A Hollywood actress, no less.
Her work in wireless transmission during World War II laid the foundational concepts that later influenced Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi. So technically speaking, while they were busy typing, they were proving her point.
And that’s the thing about history: women have always been building things. We just haven’t always been building the narrative around them.
Since we’re celebrating women with this edition, let’s revisit a few receipts.
The Airplane Muffler
In 1917, El Dorado Jones (fondly called “Iron Woman”) designed what was considered the first successful airplane engine muffler that reduced noise without reducing engine power.
She ran a factory staffed entirely by women over 40. Let that sink in. In 1917.
She didn’t get funding to mass-produce it. But the ingenuity was undeniable.
The Medicine Cabinet MVPs
If you’ve ever treated a fungal infection, you’ve indirectly met Rachel Fuller Brown and Elizabeth Lee Hazen.
They developed Nystatin, the first effective antifungal drug, while working at the New York State Department of Health.
From life-threatening infections in transplant patients to infant oral thrush, their work quietly saves lives daily. Not dramatic. Just essential.
And then there’s Gertrude Belle Elion, who helped develop Azathioprine, the first immunosuppressive drug, transforming organ transplantation and cancer treatment.
So yes, modern medicine has women’s fingerprints all over it.
Your Kitchen Is a Feminist Exhibit
Let’s walk through your house quickly.
Your dishwasher? Thank Josephine Cochran. In 1872, she designed a machine that used water pressure instead of scrubbers, and it worked.
Your electric refrigerator? Florence Parpart patented one in 1914, improving on the icebox era.
Your electric water heater? Patented in 1917 by Ida Forbes, at a time when gas dominated.
Disposable diapers saving modern parents from daily chaos? That would be Marion Donovan, who was simply tired of washing endless wet bedding and decided there had to be a better way.
Innovation, sometimes, is just exhaustion meeting intelligence (because girls just want to have fun, lol.)
Healthcare, Simplified
If you’ve ever used a diagnostic test strip, that convenience traces back to Helen M. Free.
Her work made at-home testing for diabetes possible using simple colour-changing strips. Healthcare became less intimidating, more accessible, and far more practical.
She later received the Garvan Medal from the American Chemical Society. As she should.
Safety, Seen Differently
Home security systems weren’t always common. In fact, in the 1960s, they were practically non-existent.
Enter Marie Van Brittan Brown, who invented a closed-circuit television (CCTV) home security system because she wanted to feel safer returning home from late nursing shifts.
Safety innovation didn’t begin in corporate boardrooms. Sometimes it began with a woman saying, “This isn’t good enough.”
The Moon Landing? Also Her Code.
When Neil Armstrong took that famous step on the moon, history applauded, rightly so.
But the onboard software that prevented the mission from failing under pressure? That was written by Margaret Hamilton.
She developed priority scheduling systems that allowed the computer to focus on critical tasks during Apollo 11’s descent.
In simple terms: when things got chaotic, her code kept calm.
Communication, Reimagined
If you’ve ever made a call over the internet, used Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, or sent a text-to-donate code during a fundraiser, you owe a nod to Marian Croak.
Her work at AT&T laid the foundation for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.
So again, the irony of telling a woman she wouldn’t have the internet is… bold.
The Windshield Wiper (Because Visibility Matters)
On a snowy day in New York, Mary Anderson watched a trolley driver struggle to see through sleet.
She went home, designed a manually operated windshield cleaning device, and patented it in 1903.
It was initially rejected because (wait for it) it might “distract the driver.”
History has a sense of humour.
And Then There’s Beer
Yes. Beer.
Historical research shows that brewing in ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia was originally women’s work. For centuries, women brewed it, sold it, and ran taverns.
Beer was even considered a gift from a goddess.
So, if we’re being technical, women didn’t just help build civilization. They fermented it.
I used to say “Thank God for beer.” But now, I’m going with “Thank God for women.”
My point?
This isn’t about diminishing men’s contributions because innovation has always been collaborative. Rather, it is about correcting a lazy narrative.
Women have not been passive recipients of progress. They have engineered it, coded it, brewed it, cooled it, sterilised it, powered it, and secured it.
Sometimes without funding. Often without credit. Frequently without applause.
So, the next time someone casually suggests that women are merely beneficiaries of modern civilization, we can gently remind them:
The internet you’re using to type that comment? There’s a woman in its origin story.
And she probably didn’t argue about it online. She just built it.
