ThinkHer

Who is a scientist? I know we have already lingered on this question before, and we did find out that 'Scientist' (a gender neutral term) was first coined to describe a woman (Mary Somerville). But here's my question: Who do you think qualifies as a scientist? If your answer is anyone who studies science, well then, even a 6-year-old studies science. Would they qualify as a scientist? If your answer is anybody with a doctorate in science, then you're in for a surprise. Michael Faraday, renowned for his contributions to electromagnetism and electrochemistry, never had a formal PhD. There is more. A P J Abdul Kalam became a scientist first, and then, only later, received numerous honorary doctorates from various universities. So again, who is a scientist? Although being a scientist is a widely recognised profession today, there is no formal process to determine who is a scientist and who is not. Anyone can be a scientist in some sense; anyone who systematically investigat...

The first semester during my undergraduate years, there was a  “History of Physics” course. The syllabus was basically a list of scientists stretched from Aristotle to Einstein, a sweeping arc of minds that had shaped the discipline. The biographies we read were neatly arranged on a timeline of progress, their personal lives mostly stripped of social context. It was a history of achievements, not of people. These were tales of individual brilliance, where obstacles existed mainly to be overcome. And in this, I first recognized the pattern of what scholars now call the “superscientist” narrative: an individual—usually male—who triumphs over adversity to push the boundaries of knowledge. When women did appear, their stories followed the same arc but with a twist. Their struggle wasn’t against poverty or bad luck, but against patriarchy itself. Think of how we tell the stories of Marie Curie, Janaki Ammal, or Rosalind Franklin—as models of resilience, who not only conducted pathbreaki...

Kirsty Coventry,  at just 41, made history on June 23, 2025, becoming the first African and the first woman to lead the International Olympic Committee (IOC)—the most powerful sporting organisation in the world. In doing so, she shattered multiple precedents.  She is the youngest president since Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, and was also hand-picked by the outgoing president, Thomas Bach.  This milestone was more than symbolic. It marked a potential shift in how global sport is governed, towards greater inclusion, transparency, and athlete-centred leadership.  Top: Kirsty Coventry in the pool, Bottom left: Kirsty Coventry as IOC President, Bottom right: Kirsty Coventry after winning a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Made on Canvala Born on 16 September 1983, Kirsty Coventry first dove into a swimming pool as a child in Harare, Zimbabwe, when she was 2 years old. Coming from a sporting family, Coventry exhibited a competitive spirit from ea...

Through the work we’ve done in ThinkHer, a pattern begins to emerge: a woman’s insistence on shifting what’s accepted as normal. Whether it’s in how they studied, taught, moved through institutions, or lived outside them, these women didn’t just make space for themselves—they redefined what that space could be. Belle da Costa Greene , Mary Somerville , Kamala Sohonie , Rukhmabai Raut —their names resurface time and again, not only for what they achieved, but for how deliberately they lived.  For women, even the most groundbreaking titles rarely ensured entry into the spaces they truly sought. Yet, these women, in their own ways, managed to shape and carve out those very spaces. Laura Maria Caterina Bassi Veratti (Laura Bassi), too, belongs in this line. Portrait of Laura Bassi by Carlo Vandi Laura Bassi’s career began at a time when the very idea of a woman engaging in scientific thought—let alone being recognized for it—was rare and often met with resistance. She was born in 1711 ...

When we were debating names for our ThinkHer platform, we tossed around several ideas, 'Steminist' being one of them. At the time, we thought our work would center on women in science and technology. But as we began researching, we kept stumbling upon women who had transformed their worlds through knowledge, resistance, creativity, and care—a trail of complex, brilliant women who expanded our curiosity beyond any single field. That’s why we chose the name "ThinkHer"—to open up space for the many ways women have shaped the world, often in silence, often erased, but always with intention. Belle Greene’s 1915 portrait at home; Paul Thompson photo for a news story on NYC high-salaried women. Courtesy: Getty/Bettmann. We read about Fatima al-Fihri , who founded the world’s first university, and Savitribai Phule , who fought relentlessly for women’s right to education in 19th-century India. Each story expanded our vision and reminded us that brilliance takes many forms—acro...

Periods. From calling it with different names like chums, that time of the month or girl problem, to whispering about it around men, women have been conditioned to hide periods. Carefully concealing pads in bags, pockets, or beneath tops while rushing to washrooms has almost become second nature to most women. But why? Why do women lower their voice to say " I have got my period "? Why do women avoid eye contact with the pharmacist while buying sanitary products? Why are women ashamed of something so naturally part of them? Made on Canva @ThinkHer In India (while period stigma exists globally, this article mostly comes from responses shared by Indian women), menstruation is a taboo subject. As can be seen in movies like Pad Man and Great Indian Kitchen, women are generally considered impure or unclean during this period. In many communities, girls are made to sleep separately or sit in isolated corners in schools even today. Girls are often told to avoid visiting religious ce...