ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of women in Antarctica

Alright kiddo, let's talk about women in Antarctica!

Antarctica is a really cold place at the bottom of the world, and for a long time, only men were allowed to go there. But in the 1960s, women started to break through that barrier and make their way to Antarctica, too.

The first woman to ever set foot on Antarctica was a scientist named Caroline Mikkelsen, way back in 1935. But for a long time after that, women were mostly kept out of Antarctica because people thought it was too dangerous or difficult for them.

It wasn't until 1969 that the first all-female team made it to Antarctica. This team was made up of eight women who were all researchers, and they spent six weeks studying penguins and seals.

Since then, more and more women have made their way to Antarctica. In the 1980s, the first women began working as support staff, helping out with things like cooking and cleaning. And in 1986, the first women scientists were allowed to work on a major research station in Antarctica.

Nowadays, there are lots of women who work in Antarctica doing all sorts of things, from studying climate change to helping out with logistics. There are still more men than women in Antarctica overall, but the number of women who go is growing every year.

So that's the timeline of women in Antarctica, kiddo! It took a long time for women to be allowed to go there, but now they're making their mark just like everyone else.