The trajectory of women in physics: from invisibility to recognition

Abstract

Introduction: Physics has been one of the most influential sciences in the development of human knowledge. Although advances in this field have been mainly attributed to male figures, the contributions of women have been equally significant, although often invisible. Materials and methods: This article, through a bibliographic review, assesses the achievements and challenges of key figures such as Émilie du Châtelet, Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, Emmy Noether, Maria Goeppert-Mayer, Chien-Shiung Wu, and Donna Strickland. The analysis focuses on three fundamental questions: What information exists on the contributions and challenges of women in physics? In what social context did these scientists develop? How have different bibliographic sources represented and analyzed the impact of their contributions in physics? The research examined a total of 70 bibliographic documents, from which 41 sources were selected. Results: Despite advances in the inclusion of women in scientific fields, their presence remains limited. Insufficient information was found on the women studied in the databases consulted. Discussion: Analysis of the sources referenced in ProQuest, Google Scholar, Scielo, Scopus, and JSTOR reveals a clear tendency toward the use of scientific articles and journals as the primary sources of information. Conclusions: Although there are studies that address the presence and relevance of women in Physics, most of these approaches are individual in nature and do not systematically address the collective role that women play in this discipline.