Remembering history’s hidden women 

Ancestry’s research found women make up fewer than one in five named historical figures in UK school textbooks, while 81% of the content focuses on men. Ancestry wanted to spark meaningful conversation about this imbalance and help more people see themselves in history.

 

With historian Dr Amy Boyington and expert genealogists, Ancestry created The Parity Principle, a framework for assessing gender balance in historical narratives. We brought it to life through a striking launch event, using a standard history book to represent women’s stories against a towering, 10-foot-tall tome symbolising the disproportionate focus on men in history books. A mirror in the smaller book reflected Ancestry’s belief that everyone deserves to see themselves in history.

 

The campaign also included targeted media outreach, 1,000 newspapers featuring biographies of 25 women nominated by the public and a partnership with Historic England to honour female achievers through its blue plaque programme, culminating in a plaque for pioneering mathematician Dame Mary Cartwright.

The campaign generated 136 pieces of earned coverage, 91 broadcast segments and a total reach of 192 million. Sign-ups rose by 20% and brand traffic by 15%, positioning Ancestry as a cultural leader bringing overlooked women’s stories into view.