Secondary school history lessons are overlooking the achievements of women, an equality charity says.

While students might learn about monarchs such as Queen Victoria and suffragettes like Emmeline Pankhurst, the group End Sexism In Schools (ESIS) says we should be taught about the lives of many more female historical figures.

In a new report, ESIS looked at history lesson content being sent to secondary schools to teach children in Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9). It discovered that just one in eight lessons focused on women. What’s more, well over half (59%) of them didn’t mention women at all.

Where women were featured, they tended to be victims in stories that focused on men (such as the women killed by Jack the Ripper), rather than inspiring heroes like astronauts and scientists who made a big impact on the world. For example, the London matchgirls’ strike of 1888 (above) was important in helping to develop workers’ rights in Britain.

ESIS founder Debbie Brazil said: “As a result, girls can’t relate to what they are taught about the past [and] boys miss opportunities to develop empathy and positive role models.”

In 2023, women only appeared in around one in 20 GCSE and A level history exam questions. ESIS says that the curriculum and school exams should be changed to feature more named women across all historical periods.

Kate Mosse, a famous British novelist, agrees. She said: “Women and men built the world together… we can’t sideline the achievements of half the population.”

What do you think?