We all know Wikipedia’s got some lady probs. At the 2013 International Wikimedia Conference on August 9th, Wikipedia co-founder, Jimmy Wales, said that 87% of the site’s editors are men. This isn’t the only time Wiki has shoved women out of the editing limelight. In April, a New York Times op-ed exposed that Wikipedia editors have moved women from the “American Novelists” category, to “American Women Novelists” subcategory. Ugh, that was way harsh, Wiki. Why can’t y’all display gender equality?
In light of this faux pas, feminist organization, FemTechNet, has started the entitled project “Storming Wikipedia.” The project was designed for students as an online course offering of FemTechNet, and it focuses on editing and creating Wikipedia articles that include influential women. Course facilitator and Californian media studies professor at Pitzer College, Alexandra Juhasz, says that “Storming Wikipedia” was made “with the goal to collaboratively write feminist thinking into the site.”
2011 Wikipedia survey displays lack of female editors
Professors and students will work together to “encourage feminists, academics, and activists to contribute to Wikipedia and help revolutionize its culture” while “making Wikipedia readers and editors more aware of the systemic gender bias inherent in the encyclopedia’s structure.”
The purpose is to accredit women and their contributions (so we’re all still remembered in this digital age). Finally we’re giving credit where it’s due!
FemTechNet will also be listing an online course that will educate those on the relationship between women and technology. The course, which is called “Dialogues on Feminism and Technology,” will start this upcoming fall, and it’ll be featured in numerous universities, including Brown University, Penn State University, The CUNY Graduate Center, Yale University, and The New School. The video dialogue course will study feminist technology as taught by feminist scholars and artists.
Thanks to Mother Jones, FemTechNet, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and FemTechNet
Images via Mother Jones
