On Thursday, May 4 at 19:30 GMT:
Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia in the world, has been one of the most visited websites in the world for years. It is probably the first result that pops up in an internet search. And since 2001, the “Free Encyclopaedia” has become an important resource for online discovery and research.
But more than 80% of Wikipedia’s volunteer editors are male, and gender inequality is reflected in the articles, say Wikipedians who are working to address the site’s gender bias and lack of inclusiveness.
Over the years, the Wikimedia Foundation and others have made numerous efforts to encourage more articles and quotes aimed at highlighting women’s achievements.
Wikipedia articles about women are less likely to be accepted and annotated by the online community of editors. A 2021 study found that 41% of Wikipedia biographies nominated for deletion were about women. That figure seems staggering considering that only 19% of published Wikipedia biographies are about women, according to the Wikiproject Women in Red.
On this episode of The Stream, we take a look at some editing initiatives working to combat gender bias, one Wikipedia article at a time.
In this episode of The Stream we speak with:
jessica wade, @jesswade
Researcher, Imperial College London
Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight, @rosiestep
Director, Wikimedia Foundation
Kira Wisniewski, @artandfeminism
Executive Director, Art+Feminism