How women were erased from economic history

Victoria Bateman explains how marginalising women's contributions to economic prosperity has always heralded the decline of history's greatest civilisations

Published: September 15, 2025 at 8:00 AM

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Across 12,000 years of history, prosperity has flourished in societies where women could fully participate – and faltered when they were pushed to the margins. That's what Dr Victoria Bateman argues in her new book Economica. From Stone Age big-game hunters to Roman traders, Renaissance brewers and pirate queens, she explores how women’s economic power has shaped civilisations, but also how bias, law and culture have erased these contributions. Speaking to Danny Bird, Victoria challenges myths about the rise of capitalism – and warns that ignoring women’s crucial role in humanity's prosperity risks repeating one of history’s most common mistakes.

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Victoria Bateman is the author of Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power (Headline Press, 2025).

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Authors

Danny BirdContent producer

Danny Bird is a content producer at HistoryExtra

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