Though I don’t always flaunt the title of Feminist, a word often loaded with political undertones and social assumptions, I certainly self-identify as someone who believes in equality for all global citizens.

I believe women and men should have equal access to education, employment, and human rights. I believe that women should have the same opportunities for success as their male counterparts. And I believe that women deserve the same recognition as men, when it comes to getting credit for the fruits of their intellectual labors .

These beliefs became particularly crystalized in my mind a few years back, when I first heard Sheryl Sandberg compel women to “sit at the table” and play a proactive role in pursuing leadership roles. The concepts solidified further last year, when I played and replayed Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie redefining the way we think about gender, period (“What if, in raising children, we focus on ability, instead of gender? What if, in raising children, we focus on interest, instead of gender?”) And just a few weeks back, I nodded in approval at the big-picture message of Ms. Emma Watson, who compelled men and boys to engage in the vision of gender equality.

Yet in all my exposure to these visionary Feminist voices, I never once heard about the legendary Ada Lovelace.

Have you?

If you’re like me, you probably did not know that last week on the 14th, the world celebrated Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of this very special woman.

Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, was a brilliant mathematician who contributed significantly—as a teenager, no less—to Charles Babbage‘s Analytical Engine, a machine that is now known as the world’s first ever general-purpose computer. Ada was a computer scientist extraordinaire; she was not just the world’s first female computer programmer. She was the world’s first computer programmer, full stop.

And yet, in our lives that are so dependent upon the machine that Ada helped create, most of us have never heard her name uttered in lectures, never read about her in the pages of our history books. How can this be?

The answer is sad—and simple—then, and still is now. Successful women are often not credited for their contributions. Successful women, whether researchers, business leaders, politicians, artists, or athletes, for a host of complex social reasons, often end up invisible to history. Many more women are never even given a chance to attempt success, because of gender discrimination in schools and workplaces in almost every nation on the planet. This was unacceptable in 1815, and is unacceptable today.

Thankfully, we live in a world where this dynamic is being challenged and is beginning to change, and Ada Lovelace Day is one important effort that celebrates and honors successful women, particularly those who excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). [Quick fact, did you know that only 2% of the open source software and data community (which brings you treasures like Firefox, Wikipedia, Google and Facebook products) is female?! See the Ada Initiative for more info.] I hope you will use Ada’s Day as an opportunity to shout-out female STEM heroes in your own family and school and workplace. As suggested beautifully in Slate:

“Because Lovelace happened to be educated, wealthy, and famous, her intelligence was recognized by many, even in her own time…. Countless other similarly gifted women have been ignored or forgotten. Countless more still suffer from sexist attitudes within their industries and, worse, terrifying harassment online and off. Many of the events around Ada Lovelace Day are designed to correct the historical record and build support for present and future Adas.”

But I want to suggest as well that Ada Lovelace day is even more symbolic than promoting women in STEM. It’s a day that should cause each of us to pause and reflect on the Ada’s in our lives (and, perhaps, the Ada within us): Are the contributions of anyone in my community going unrecognized? Am I giving equal opportunities for all of my teammates to contribute in the first place? When I see inequality happening, do I step in and say (or do) something about it? Ada’s legacy also has implications far beyond gender. Whether it’s race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class, there are always reasons why people who have equal talents and passions are robbed of opportunities to excel and receive credit for their brilliance. Part of being an everyday ambassador is having the perception to notice situations of inequality and injustice, whether it’s in your office, classroom, or home, and having the courage to act and change them.

I hope that in honor of Ada, you keep your eyes open for anyone whose contributions are ignored or forgotten, and let your words and actions be guided by a belief in human equality.

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“Field Notes” is weekly global news commentary by Everyday Ambassador founder and director Kate Otto. To stay up to date on current events and the latest posts from this series, follow #fieldnotes on our other platforms, and check back regularly for updates.