The Forgotten Women of History and Why Their Stories Still Matter

History, as we know it, has often been told through a narrow lens. Names of kings, emperors, explorers, and generals dominate the pages, their legacies carefully recorded and passed down through generations. But standing just outside that spotlight—sometimes in the shadows, sometimes deliberately pushed there—are the women whose lives, contributions, and voices were often overlooked. These are the forgotten women of history. And yet, their stories matter just as much—if not more.

Throughout time, women have played vital roles in shaping the world around them. They have influenced political decisions, supported great expeditions, preserved culture, and quietly defied the limitations placed upon them. However, their contributions were often dismissed as secondary or deemed unworthy of record. In many cases, their stories survived only as footnotes in someone else’s narrative.

But history is not as complete as it should be when half of its voices are missing. What fascinates me most is not just what we know about these women—but what we don’t know. The gaps. The silences. The unanswered questions. There is something profoundly compelling about stepping into those spaces and asking: What was her story? What did she see? What did she feel? This question has shaped much of my writing.

In The Exploress and the Pillars of Eternity, I was drawn to a woman whose life existed on the edges of recorded history—Sarah Belzoni. While her husband’s name is often associated with exploration and discovery, her presence and experiences are far less widely known. And yet, she was there—witnessing, enduring, and contributing in ways that history has only partially acknowledged.

Telling her story, or at least imagining it in a way that gives her agency and voice, felt important to me. Because when we bring these women into the narrative, something shifts. History becomes richer, more nuanced, and far more human. We begin to see events not just as grand achievements, but as lived experiences shaped by a wider range of perspectives.

These stories also resonate today in ways that go beyond historical curiosity. They remind us that recognition is not always immediate, that contributions can be overlooked, and that voices can be silenced—not because they lacked value, but because they were not given space.

And yet, here we are—still uncovering, still questioning, still telling. There is a quiet power in reclaiming these stories. In giving presence to those who were once absent. In acknowledging that history is not fixed, but something that can be revisited, reexamined, and, in some ways, restored.

As a writer of historical fiction, I see it as both a privilege and a responsibility to explore these narratives. Not to rewrite history, but to illuminate what may have been left in the margins.

Because the forgotten women of history were never truly insignificant. They were simply unheard. And perhaps, through storytelling, we can begin to change that.

by A. Piper Burgi

Piper is the award-winning author of The Country Girl Empress series. When she isn't busy typing on her computer, she can be found chasing after her furry children or holding on tightly to a good cup of coffee. Follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, and Goodreads