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Abstract

Gender inequality has been a constant struggle for women throughout history with victories few and far between. The movement for women’s rights emerged with the anti-slavery movement in the mid-1800s; however, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that women were allowed to grace the distinguished and revered lecture halls of higher education, and not until 1920 that women gained the right to formally matriculate and attain degrees. Upon commencement of women into the ranks of academia, the necessity to secure women’s rights for higher education appeared to be satiated. However, gender discrimination continued to plague particular fields of study, specifically the sciences, hindering explosive development and inhibiting potential innovative advancements. Although great progress has been made to increase the ranks of women in academia over the last couple decades, women remain underrepresented in faculty positions within scientific fields of study. The field of Neuroscience, although primarily male dominated, has had a few significant leading women pioneers who have courageously revolutionized the parameters of the science despite the strong opposition of the gender barriers. This paper aims to expose the underlying motives that perpetuate the gender bias in the field of neuroscience and explore the progress that has been made through the exemplary career and life of world-renowned and highly-respected neuroscientist Patricia Goldman-Rakic.

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