Every now and again, when someone is stuck for an idea for a column (who, me?), they write about the world's most important inventions. The nice thing about this as a topic is that it is constantly being updated because we are such a clever species. Recent inclusions might be artificial intelligence, solar voltaic house paint, driverless cars and facial-recognition software. All of which will, no doubt, change our lives.

Looking back a little further, we hear a lot about the internal combustion engine, nuclear fission and the internet, all of which reshaped our world. What puzzles me, however, is how the two things that really revolutionised modern times – the contraceptive pill and the humble tampon – rarely rate a mention.

Despite the progress made, female reproduction remains touchy. Credit:Stocksy

Frankly, I can't imagine what my life would have been like without either of them. Think about it: both freed half the human race (at least in the West) to participate in public life in ways never seen before. The women's revolution, as it is sometimes called, was, like all revolutions, triggered by technology.

Without the power to control our reproductive systems, women were severely constrained and our freedom very limited. The influx of women into the workplace, education and the corridors of power as a result of the tampon and the Pill has disrupted everything. In fact, you can judge the power of the change by the force of the backlash against it.