Well now, let's see. Here's a list of some rather outstanding women, right off the top of my head - 

Madame Curie (pretty good scientist)
Queen Elizabeth 1  (darn good monarch)
Georgia O'Keefe  (outstanding artist)
The Bronte sisters  ( heck of a good lot of writers)
Angela Merkel  (smart leader)
Ginger Rogers ( better dancer than Astaire because she had to dance backwards!)
Flora MacDonald  ( great nurse who at least knew how cleanliness prevented germs, thus knew more than the male doctors of the time)

I could make a similar list for people of colour. Fact is - women & minorities will never be given the recognition  & chances they need if institutions aren't made to do that. It will never come about in a voluntary fashion..