When women are mentioned, it is often not for their own achievements but in relation to others: as someone’s wife, mother, or sister. This exclusion has erased countless contributions and distorted our understanding of human progress.

Remembering the Forgotten

Take Mabel Dove, for example. A pioneering journalist, politician and activist, she became the first woman to be elected to a legislative assembly in Africa in 1954, representing the Convention People’s Party in Ghana. Long before that, she had already broken barriers as one of the first female editors of a newspaper on the continent; she used her platform to advocate for independence, justice and equality.

Mabel Dove’s political courage and sharp voice in the press challenged colonial power at a time when women were rarely seen, let alone heard, in public life. Yet despite her groundbreaking achievements, she remains largely absent from mainstream historical narratives. Her story is a reminder of how women’s legacies are too often overlooked or forgotten.

Mabel Dove’s political courage and sharp voice in the press challenged colonial power at a time when women were rarely seen, let alone heard, in public life. Yet despite her groundbreaking achievements, she remains largely absent from mainstream historical narratives. Her story is a reminder of how women’s legacies are too often overlooked or forgotten.

Similarly, Evelyn Dove made history in 1939 as the first Black woman to sing on the BBC. A classically trained vocalist, she performed across Europe, the United States and India; she carved out space in a world where Black women in the arts were systematically excluded. Evelyn Dove’s voice broke barriers not only in music but also in representation, paving the way for future generations of performers. Yet, like Mabel, her name is not widely remembered today.

Their stories illustrate a wider truth: women have always shaped history but history has not always chosen to remember them.

Hidden in Plain Sight

From every corner of the world, women’s influence is undeniable:

Politics and Nation Building: Figures such as Queen Nzinga of 17th-century Angola, who resisted Portuguese colonisation, or the suffragists who fought for the vote across continents, demonstrate women’s central role in shaping political futures.

Science and Innovation: Rosalind Franklin, whose research was pivotal to uncovering the structure of DNA, stands as one of countless women whose scientific brilliance was overlooked in her lifetime.

Literature and Culture: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century Mexican scholar, poet and nun, defied social norms to champion women’s education and intellectual freedom. She became one of Latin America’s most celebrated literary figures.

Exploration and Resistance: Huda Sha’arawi, an Egyptian feminist and activist, challenged gender restrictions in the early 20th century; she founded the Egyptian Feminist Union and laid groundwork for women’s rights movements across the Arab world.

These examples show that women’s contributions are diverse and global. Yet too often they remain absent from the histories we are taught.

The Cost of Erasure

The exclusion of women from history books and mainstream narratives has profound consequences. By sidelining their contributions, societies perpetuate the false idea that women’s roles have been secondary rather than central. For younger generations, the lack of visible female role models in history narrows the horizon of what they believe is possible.

Correcting this imbalance is essential not just for fairness; it builds the confidence, ambition and aspirations of the next generation.

Why Reclaiming Women’s History Matters

Reclaiming women’s contributions is about more than correcting the past; it reshapes the present. It challenges patriarchal narratives that limit women’s roles and strengthens movements for equality by grounding them in centuries of precedent. When we see the women who led before us, we understand that today’s struggles are part of a much longer journey.

Representation matters: research shows that when young people, especially girls, see women in history, they are more likely to imagine themselves as leaders, innovators and decision-makers. By amplifying these stories, we expand what is possible for the future.

Our Commitment

At The Dove Foundation for Global Change, we are dedicated to restoring women’s rightful place in history by:

Researching and amplifying the stories of overlooked pioneers like Mabel and Evelyn Dove.

Working with educators, historians and cultural institutions to embed women’s history into mainstream learning.

Celebrating diverse role models from around the world whose legacies continue to inspire progress.

Women are not footnotes to history; they are its co-authors. The task now is to ensure that the world finally tells the full story.