Africa Wiki Women/Programs

Africa Wiki Women (AWW)

• Overview
• Inaugural Members & Participants
• Programs
• Reports and Resources

• Africa Wiki Women #SheSaid Campaign 2023 Done

• WikiSkills Elevate: African Women's Digital Empowerment Series - To educate African Wiki Women on needed On-Wiki and Off Wiki skills. In progress…

• Empower, Inspire, Celebrate: African Wiki Women's Journey to mark the International Women's Day on March 8th 2024 Doing...

• Africa WikiWomen Spotlight and face of AWW: Voices of Resilience and Empowerment- Featuring African female Wikimedians whose stories embody resilience and growth with emphasizes on sharing inspiring journeys to motivate others in the community through a podcast or youtube series. In progress…

• Wiki Mentors African Women- is a dynamic program designed to empower and support female contributors in the Wikimedia community. This initiative focuses on connecting aspiring and established female Wikimedians with experienced mentors. Through personalized guidance, skill-building workshops, and supportive networking, the program aims to enhance participants' abilities in navigating and contributing to various Wikimedia projects. It's a platform for growth, learning, and collaboration, fostering a more inclusive and diverse Wikimedia community by uplifting women's voices and perspectives. Not done

• Celebrating the International Girl Child Day on Friday, 11 Oct 2024 Not done

Understanding the Gender Gap

• Gender Gap in Wikimedia Editors: Women are underrepresented among Wikipedia editors. Potential reasons include perceived neglect of women's interests, cultural norms of the editing community, and potential barriers like tech skills or confidence. Research initiatives like CIS A2K Research: Bridging gender gap and Diversity, equity, and inclusion communications research have explored these challenges further.

• A Broader Digital Context: Predominant internet knowledge and content are produced by a minority (primarily Western, white, male). The design and governance of global internet platforms seldom represent women, people of color, and the Global South. Even though 58% of the global population has internet access, with 75% of online users from the Global South and 45% being women, the digital domain is dominated by perspectives from the Western world.

• Content Representation on Wikipedia: Research can explore the quantity and quality of women-centric articles on Wikipedia. The gender gap among editors may influence the representation of women in the content.

• Community Dynamics within Wikimedia: It's essential to understand the experiences of women within the Wikimedia editing community. This includes interactions with fellow editors, the support or lack thereof that they receive, and obstacles faced in leadership roles. Equitable support measures for women can be identified and promoted to bolster their representation and participation.

• Gender Bias in Wikipedia's Content: Potential biases in the portrayal of genders within articles warrant research. Aspects to consider include the language utilized, representation in traditionally male-centric fields, and the overall impact of such biases on content's quality and veracity.