Societal structure have always been deterrent to women moving ahead in different spheres of life, but then there have been numerous examples of women breaking through the barriers.
This International Women’s Day, we salute some of the amazing women inventors who stretched the limits of technology to come up with something new to change our lives for the better.
1. Randice-Lisa Altschul
It was in 1996 when Randice-Lisa Altschul came up with the interesting idea of making what went on to be the world's first disposable cell phone. But what is more interesting here is the story that led to this creation.
Altschul was driving down a highway and talking on her mobile phone. Eventually, her connection became weak and the conversation cut in and out. She became so frustrated that wanted to throw her cell phone out the window.
And that is when she had a eureka moment. Why not create a disposable cell phone that people could buy and use it for some time, and then throw it away?
The disposable cell phone marked Altschul's first foray into electronics. She worked with engineer Lee Volte to develop the super-thin circuitry that would go inside the phones. She was issued a series of patents for the wireless, prepaid cell phone as well as the circuitry in November 1999.
Her phone was called the Phone-Card-Phone, less than half a centimeter thick, about the size of a credit card, and made from recycled paper products.
It was a real cell phone with 60 minutes of calling time and a hands free attachment.
2. Mary Anderson
The idea of having the windshield wiper struck Mary Anderson in 1903 when she was travelling from Alabama to New York City. The weather wasn't fine, and she noticed drivers constantly stopping their cars and getting out to clear the windshields. Anderson though that there should be a better way to it. She started working on designs for a device that could be activated from inside the car to clear the windshield.
And the following year, in 1904, Anderson applied for a patent for a swinging arm with a rubber blade. The device consisted of a lever that could be operated from inside a car by the driver. The lever caused a spring-loaded arm with a rubber blade to swing across the windshield and then back again to their original position, thus removing droplets of rain or flakes of snow from the windshield's surface. The patent for the device was issued in 1905. Similar devices had been made before Anderson came up with, but hers was the first model that actually worked.
3. Josephine Cochran
Josephine Cochrane was the inventor of the first commercially successful dishwashing machine. Cochrane was a socialite and was accustomed to having servants do much of her housework for her. But the idea of a dishwasher came to her when she grew frustrated that her fine china was chipping, mostly by the harsh handling by servants as they scrubbed it in the sink. At first, she tried washing the dishes herself, but eventually she found the task burdensome and thought that there must be a better way.
She worked out a design, one that employed water jets and a dish rack that would hold the soiled tableware in place. Soon after she first began working on the design, her husband passed away, and she was left with debt. The tragedy gave Cochrane a push. Cochrane became driven in her desire to create a successful model of her machine. Though others had attempted to create similar devices - a hand-cranked model was patented, for example, in 1850 - none had become commercially viable. She was determined that her machine could meet a real consumer need.
4. Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace is widely regarded as the world's first computer programmer. She was a trained mathematician and acquired fame by working with Charles Babbage (1791-1871) on the world's first computer, the "Analytical Engine", which could carry out many different types of calculations. She designed several computer programmes for the engine which were coded onto cards with holes punched in them - thus becoming the world's first computer programmer. The universally recognised computer language ADA is named after her.
Her choice to study and specialize in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines was highly exceptional for a woman in 19th century England, but she had an excellent role model in her mother, Anne Isabella (Milbanke) Byron, who herself was a woman of high intellect with a passion for mathematics.
5. Ida Forbes
It was in 1917 when Ida Forbes invented the electric water heater to provide means for heating the water to a definite temperature, and for variably controlling the temperature to which the water is to be heated.
6. Florence Parpart
In 1914, Florence Parpart won a patent for the modern refrigerator, that would replace the traditional icebox for those with access to electricity. Parpart was already an experienced entrepreneur and therefore, she successfully managed to market and sell her refrigerators.
7. Marie Van Brittan Brown
Marie Van Brittan invented a home surveillance device in 1966. It is said that the idea to make this device came to Marie after she noticed the police's slow response during emergencies in their neighbourhood.
It was in the same year that she applied for a patent along with her husband for a closed circuit television security system, which was a motorised camera that captured images to show them on a monitor. Her CCTV device was actually the forerunner to the modern home security system.
8. Margaret Knight
Paper bags may appear to be a very simple and basic commodity today, but it never existed until the second half of the 19th century. It was in the late 1860s when Margaret Knight thought that how much easier it would be to pack items in paper bags if the bottoms were flat. And it was this idea that inspired her to design a machine that automatically folded and glued paper-bag bottoms, thereby creating the flat-bottom paper bags, which are still used is the present times.
9. Nancy Johnson
Nancy Johnson is credited for inventing the first-ever hand-cranked ice-cream maker. It was in 1843, when Nancy received a patent for the hand-cranked ice cream freezer, with a movable crank and a center paddle to churn the mix around.
Image by Bengt Oberger - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
10. Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr is not only know as a successful Hollywood star but also as a pioneer in the field of wireless communication. The patent for "frequency hopping" that Lamarr co-authored laid the groundwork for widely-used technologies like Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi that we rely upon daily.
It was in November last year when Google had celebrated the actress-turned-inventor’s 101th birthday.
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