Whilst it is possible, as I have done, to craft an historical outline of Buddhism that foregrounds the many women who have played a part, this is not usually how the history of women in Buddhist tradition is told. More often, the critical accounts of their role and presence are highlighted at the expense of the rest. The adverse part of the history has been much more in focus—both within Buddhist traditions themselves and in Buddhist studies scholarship—than the progressive. As a result, the lives and endeavours of the many women who have contributed to shaping the history and modern manifestations of Buddhism have been hidden from view.