Barriers to female achievement in the field of mathematics

What were the barriers to women's achievement in mathematics in the past? How did some women manage to overcome them? To what extent do these barriers still exist today? Mathematical achievements throughout the ages have been well recognised and held in high esteem. However, the names of Ada Lovelace, Emmy Noether or Sonya Kovalevskaya are rarely highlighted and brought out for public attention, consideration, and admiration. These outstanding mathematicians seem to have been hidden from …

…take on the role of primary caregivers, taking main responsibility for the rearing of their children. Though the world is currently progressing in the liberation of women's rights, female's still face challenges in pursuing careers in mathematics. Social pressures are still a barrier that females have to face when pursuing their aspirations in mathematics and there are still many years to come before our social expectations are changed to match the rhetoric of gender equality.