The tragedy is that for hundreds if not thousands of years half the population has had their voice muted and ability to contribute intellectually hamstrung

For hundreds if not thousands of years 90%+ of the population had their voice muted and ability to contribute intellectual hamstrung. It's only the few hundred years that we've had the resources to change this.

90% is an heavily underestimated number, where reality should be closer to 99%. We only need to go back a bit more than 100 years where researchers either was extremely wealthy and supported the work themselves (generally through inheritance), or required a patronage from someone who was wealthy. Going through the list of famous scientists that dates back hundreds if not thousands and the idea that you need to be rich to do intellectual work is a repeating pattern.

Not many people, then or now, can afford at an early age to stop focusing on creating food on the table and roof over their head, and on top of that fund what is generally a rather expensive passion.

No one here is disputing that. Your comment is pure whataboutism.