Every year, International Women’s Day arrives with a flurry of stories, celebrations, and well‑deserved spotlight moments for women across the world. I had originally planned to write about women artists and copyright this year, but as I mentioned in February Copyright Reads, the viral infection I had coupled with some annual leave in March, left me with little time to do proper research on women artists and copyright.

Still, the inspiration stayed with me. And instead of letting that spark fade, I decided to shift focus and celebrate something that has been on my mind lately: women inventors. The brilliant, determined, often overlooked women whose ideas quietly (and sometimes loudly) reshaped the world.

However, I also wanted to highlight women uplifting women, which I feel doesn’t happen enough. As such I wanted to shine a light on The Atlas of Beauty, a project that celebrates the diversity, strength, and individuality of women everywhere.

Historic women scientists

Historically, women faced monumental barriers when it came to scientific discovery and invention. Limited access to education, legal obstacles around patenting, and societal expectations meant that many women had to publish under male names or fight to prove that yes, they really did invent what they said they invented.

In history women like Mary Sommerville (1780-1872) and Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) paved the way for women scientists. Sommerville was a Scottish scientist, writer and polymath while Herschel was a German astronomer and the first known professional female astronomer, and the younger sister of William Herschel, with whom she worked most of her career. Both women were elected as the first female Honorary Members of the Royal Astronomical Society. However, they are not the only ones, below I name only a few of the many women who have shaped our lives with their inventions.

By Thomas Phillips – Mary Fairfax, Mrs William Somerville, 1780 – 1872 – vgGXxVhiio34ew at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21865703

Pioneering Women Inventors

Ada Lovelace – The First Computer Programmer

Watercolour portrait of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, c. 1840, possibly by Alfred Edward Chalon – Science Museum Group, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28131684

In the 1840s, Ada Lovelace wrote what we now recognise as the first computer program. Her notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine described how a machine could process symbols and instructions, in other words, how computers work today. Ada Lovelace also became close friends with the aforementioned Mary Sommerville who introduced her to Charles Babbage.

Hedy Lamarr – The Inventor Behind WiFi

Studio publicity still of Lamarr for the film Ziegfeld Girl (1941) By Unknown author – Dr. Macro, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98179126

Hedy Lamarr was not only a celebrated actress but she also co‑invented frequency‑hopping technology designed to prevent radio‑guided torpedoes from being jammed. That invention later became the foundation for WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Marie Van Brittan Brown – Home Security Pioneer

Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system in 1966 together with her husband Albert L. Brown, influencing the surveillance technology we use today.

Dr. Shirley Jackson – A Telecommunications Trailblazer

Her research contributed to inventions such as touch‑tone phones, portable fax machines, fibre optics, and caller ID.

Ann Tsukamoto – Stem Cell Innovator

Ann Tsukamoto co‑patented the process for isolating human stem cells—an achievement with major implications for medical research.

Inventions We Use Every Day

Stamps of Romania, 2013. Josephine Cochrane By Post of Romania – [authority_id=101&search[year]=2013&search[month]=&search[theme_id]=&search[freetext]=&search[order_by]=asc wnsstamps.ch], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31749977

– The dishwasher – Josephine Cochrane
– Solar energy technologies – Dr. Maria Telkes
– The retractable dog leash – Mary A. Delaney
– 15 patented inventions – Maria Beasley

Women, Invention, and Intellectual Property

Even today, women remain underrepresented as patent holders. Intellectual property is crucial to ensuring that inventors, women included, get recognition and the opportunity to build on their work.

The Atlas of Beauty: A Reminder of Creative Strength

© Mihaela Noroc. Images used for editorial purposes only.

Mihaela Noroc’s The Atlas of Beauty captures women worldwide. Each portrait a reminder of individuality, resilience, and authenticity. Innovation, like beauty, doesn’t look one way; it looks like all of us. I have to admit this is not a completely unbiased choice. The author of The Atlas of Beauty is a fellow Romanian and I own both books. I am also very excited about her new project, photographing Romanian women both at home (in Romania) and abroad.

Looking Ahead: Empowering Tomorrow’s Inventors

More initiatives are emerging to support girls in STEM, increase patent applications by women, and encourage innovation through mentorship and education.

Conclusion

Recognising women’s achievements isn’t reserved for one day in March. It’s something we can do every day: by telling their stories, sharing their inventions, and celebrating the beauty and strength behind their ideas. Just like in The Atlas of Beauty, every woman carries a story worth telling and some of those stories reshape the world in remarkable ways. So let’s celebrate and support all the women in our lives, our sisters, sisters-in-law, daughters, mothers, colleagues, friends and strangers.

The information contained in this blog post should be taken as recommended advice or guidance but should not be taken as legal advice. If in any doubt, please seek proper legal advice. Some images licensed from Adobe Stock.