Wikipedia is supposed to be female

Wikipedia has recently get 90 new entries added. The special feature: they are all biographies about women. The female gender is represented massively in the Online encyclopedia, finds Muriel to dust. The Executive Board member of the Association Wikimedia Switzerland is not called the Numbers speak for themselves: Of the nearly 743'000 biographies on the German-language Wikipedia pages devoted to 16 percent of the women.

Together with the two journalists Patrizia Laeri and Katia Murmann dust has launched the Initiative "women and Wikipedia" to life. "The goal is not only that more female content end up on the Wikipedia website, but also that more and more women join in, to write the relevant articles," says dust. Therefore, the Initiator have organized so far three events, called "Edit-a-thon". There is dust gives aspiring authors tips on how to create a Wikipedia article.

"Aha-experience" with Iris Bohnet

so Far, there are about 90 percent men, the Wikipedia post. "This leads to distortions in the content," says dust. Finally, Wikipedia is according to two Google pages, Facebook and Youtube the fifth most popular website, clicked on in Switzerland.

From the almost 743'000 biographies on the German-language Wikipedia pages are not dedicated to 16 percent of the women.

dust bothers have long believed that women are under-represented. Your "Aha-experience" was, as you stated two years ago that Iris Bohnet had no Wikipedia entry. Bohnet is the first Swiss rider, who has been a full Professor at the prestigious Harvard University. Dust quickly grabbed the keys.

With the Online encyclopedia, the solo thurnerin is connected, since you wrote seven years ago at the University of St. Gallen master thesis on Wikipedia. A little later dust main worked full-time for the Association Wikimedia Switzerland. As a "second assistant" was with you almost from the beginning. Today, she is the only woman, alongside five other Executive Board members to volunteer for Wikipedia operates.

"The largest man-made project"

The 32-Year-old says of the opportunities of the Internet. Also your current Job at the non-profit organization Avaaz.org use this potential. The campaign network allows citizens ' groups and private individuals to launch petitions, to influence political Decisions. Also from Wikipedia dust is captivated to, as "the largest project ever created by a human," she says.

There are also errors to happen. Thus, it was deleted in the last year, the Wikipedia entry of Donna Strickland, just before the physicist was awarded the Nobel prize. She's not relevant enough, the authors found. Dust can explain: "Previously, almost no articles in the media were published on the researcher." Wikipedia have strict relevance criteria.

by the Way, Muriel dust itself does not have its own Wikipedia entry, unlike the two co-founder of "women for Wikipedia" Katia Murmann and Patrizia Laeri. "I don't meet their strict requirements," she laughs. "Not yet!"

Created: 28.11.2019, 18:07 PM