“Have there ever been women scientists?” Starting from the question posed, way back in 1969, by a young Yale female student to a gathering of male professors and students, the two authors, a neuroscientist and a jurist, rediscover the powerful role of women in science, and retrace the discrimination in history and the weight of prejudice; the contribution of women scientists, often invisible or obscured; the equality written in the Constitution and the difficulties in achieving it; the progress made and the preconceptions, even unconscious and feminine, that still limit careers; the consequences of the pandemic and the opportunities for redemption offered by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. And, finally, in the light of their experience, the two authors report some personal testimonies, describing their career paths, the difficulties encountered along the way, the female role models who guided them, the choice to be wives, mothers and mentors for young women who do not want to give up their passion for a profession and their private life.