Hedy Lamarr: An actress who invented the future. What if we deconstructed gendered career guidance?

Her invention serves as the foundation for modern telecommunications, such as Wi-Fi.

Because yes, behind this revolutionary invention is... a glamorous actress from the 1940s.

In the 1930s and 40s, society had a very clear idea of what women’s destinies should look like: be beautiful, be muses, and perhaps, stay silent. But Hedy had other ambitions.
An Austrian actress at the height of Hollywood fame for a time, she could have been content with her successful roles and starlet status.

But she had a talent that was far less marketable and "recognizable" at the time: a brilliant scientific mind.

With her co-inventor George Antheil, Hedy developed a frequency-hopping communication system designed to prevent interference and secure military transmissions. It was revolutionary. But what did the U.S. military say about this invention from a woman (and an actress, no less)?

According to some sources, Hedy Lamarr was told she could contribute more effectively to the war effort by using her image... which she did, and successfully. This perfectly illustrates how her role as a glamorous actress was prioritized over her role as a scientist.

And yet, if the 20th century has taught us anything, it is that women have often managed to rise above such stereotypes. From Marie Curie to Katherine Johnson, from Rosalind Franklin to Hedy Lamarr, women in science have had to juggle prejudice, invisibility, and a fair share of dismissiveness.

Thanks to them, and so many others, today the idea that a woman can become an engineer, researcher, or astronaut is (finally) normalized.

Let’s continue working toward non-gendered career guidance.

But this shouldn’t just mean promoting science to balance the scales.

I’m not in favor of messages like, “Today, encouraging girls into STEM careers is a duty.”

The real duty is to avoid creating "ideal careers." It is to inspire young people by showcasing the accomplishments of figures like Hedy Lamarr and introducing them to science, alongside other subjects, in an open and accessible way.

So that ambitions and choices arise from flexible, barrier-free thinking.

And most of all, this starts at home.

The next technological revolution might come from a young woman with a vivid imagination. And this time, she won’t need glitter to shine.

Thank you, Hedy, for the lesson.

To promote talent, vision, and ideas, gendered career guidance has no place.