Until the latter half of the 19th century, women were simply unable to attend universities that trained doctors or scientists and even when they did manage to qualify, they were unable to find work owing to the prevailing gender bias that was the norm in Western countries.
We have chosen our subjects not simply because they managed to overcome the barriers against women, but because their contributions were at least as significant, and in some cases even greater, than the most famous men whose names are listed in the annals of great doctors and medical scientists.