The Rosalind Franklin Society was created to draw attention to leading female scientists, on the premise that "there still exists a prevailing perception that women do not have the same talents and abilities as their male colleagues and that the contributions of women scientists are not as important." The goal of the group, made up of prominent scientists of both sexes, is to ensure that outstanding women are recognized in ways that its namesake, Rosalind Franklin, was not.
Rosalind Franklin helped solve the structure of DNA, one of the most important scientific accomplishments of the 20th century. Franklin symbolizes progress for women in science -- her contributions were not recognized during her lifetime or for many years after her death but today her work is celebrated and she is known as a heroine of science.
I think that this shows that a hero or heroine is defined by the society they live in. At the time of the discovery of D.N.A, in the early 1950's there was a culture of ignoring womens achievements and a disparaging attitude towards women in science.
This is a link to an interview with her nephew and some facts about her life and career:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2895681.stm
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