Everyday Things Invented by Women

Her Campus at U Ottawa acknowledges that we are located on the stolen and unsurrendered land of the Algonquin people.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is on March 8th. It’s a day to celebrate women’s achievements and how far we’ve come while raising awareness about the still-ongoing discrimination that half the population faces. It all began in New York City in 1857 when female textile workers protested against unfair working conditions and unequal rights; later, in 1901, women marched against child labour and women’s suffrage. Both those events occurred on March 8th, and so the day became International Women’s Day. Though it started in New York, it became international when the United Nations started recognizing the day in 1975. On this IWD, let’s celebrate women’s success by taking a look at some everyday things that were invented by women!

Josephine Cochran: The Dishwasher

I am forever grateful to Josephine Cochran for inventing the dishwasher and saving me and many people worldwide from hours of mindless dishwashing and scrubbing. Cochran was a socialite who cleaned her own fine china so it wouldn’t get chipped by servants. She hated the chore and tried to come up with a solution. Cochran patented the dishwasher in 1886. Her dishwasher used water pressure to clean dishes rather than the scrubbers used by other prototypes of the time. We can thank her every time we get clean dishes with a press of a button!

Ida Forbes: Electric Kettle

As a daily tea drinker, I don’t think there’s anything more convenient than using the electric kettle to heat water for my tea. It’s as simple as filling it up and pressing a button, and it’s all due to Ida Forbes patenting the first electric water heater; before this, most heaters ran on gas. She received the patent in 1917.

Lillian Gillbreth: Foot Pedal Trash Can and Electric Mixer

Ever wonder whose idea it was to make trash cans with foot pedals? It was Lillian Gillbreth’s! She was a psychologist and engineer who focused on workspaces and their productivity. As a mother of 12, she prioritized efficient items and created many inventions important for ergonomics—the foot pedal trash can is one of them. Gillbreth also created the electric food mixer. As a baker myself, the food mixer has been a saviour for me more than once—especially when trying to make a meringue or buttercream where the stirring never ends. 

Catherine Deiner: The Rolling Pin

To keep on the theme of baking, have you used those rolling pins that immediately cut the dough into shape? The inventor of that idea is Catherine Deiner who, in 1981, started marketing her improved rolling pin. It came with a sleeve that could be attached to the pin and it allowed for efficient cutting of the dough with little waste. It was a great product for both families and bakeries. 

Marian Croak: Voice Over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) 

If you’ve ever made a call using the internet (like calling relatives in other countries using WhatsApp or Skype), then you’ve used VoIP. This invention is thanks to Marian Croak in 1982. She worked at AT&T and invented the technology that made it possible for this type of communication to occur. Marian Croak holds more than 200 patents and now works as Vice President of Engineering at Google. 

Women have been an essential part of inventing for decades, even centuries. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the inventions by women, but it gives you an idea of women’s contribution to society. For this IWD, take a moment to appreciate all the work done by women before us, thank yourself for the work you’re doing now, and look to the future for everything else that will come. 

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• invention
• women inventions
• women's day