WikiWomen+ Summit Highlights Gender Gaps in Wikimedia

The WikiWomen+ Summit brought together Wikimedia contributors in Paris and online to discuss gender equity, women’s empowerment, and the need to address content gaps across the Wikimedia movement. Held ahead of Wikimania, the Summit created a space for participants to exchange experiences, explore new tools, and discuss ways to make Wikimedia projects more inclusive.

For veteran Wikimedian contributors, the event offered an opportunity to reflect on long-standing challenges within the movement. One participant, who has contributed to Wikimedia projects for 21 years, described the WikiWomen+ Summit as a highlight of this year’s Wikimania experience. The Summit also featured talks from contributors and Wikimedia Foundation representatives on issues affecting women as editors, readers, and subjects of online content.

The event opened with an icebreaker where participants shared stories about the first articles they had written and discussed whether biographies of women they created had ever been deleted. Participants were also encouraged to wear yellow as part of a celebration of WikiWomen, adding a visual element to the discussions around women’s participation in the Wikimedia community.

Key Highlights:

• WikiWomen+ Summit focused on gender equity, women’s empowerment, and representation in Wikimedia
• 65% of Wikipedia readers are men, highlighting the need to encourage more women to engage with the platform
• The Summit introduced Wiki Gender Stats and discussed generative AI, governance, and women’s participation

One of the sessions was meant to introduce to us the Celebrate Women Campaign, which is meant to help promote the inclusion of women and non-binary folks across the wider Wikimedia knowledge ecosystem. The campaign's vision is similar to Wikimedia's mission of putting knowledge at everyone's service and to increase the presence of women on Wikimedia platforms.

The Summit also discussed how generative AI can impact Wikimedia projects. Sukkoria presented on the potential dangers of a WikiWomen+ point of view and also discussed the responsible application of generative AI with wiki processes. The talks emphasized the importance of blending emerging technology with the values of community and responsible editorial practices.

The question of Who uses Wikipedia was also an important topic for discussion. Leila Zia, Wikimedia Foundation, shared data on the platform's users and pointed out gender differences in the user base. The stats announced in the session revealed that approximately 65% of people who use Wikipedia are male. The discovery inspired discussion on what the Wikimedia community could do to encourage more women to be regular readers and involved with the information on Wikipedia.

The Summit also gave participants access to the newly launched tool, Wiki Gender Stats, for better understanding of gender representation on Wikimedia projects. Natacha played a role showing aspects of the tool and its relevance to engage women in defining and prioritizing technical needs.

Governance and editorial decision-making were another key area of discussion. One presentation looked at consequences of decisions taken in Wikimedia communities beyond individual content disputes. A potential barrier for contributors, especially women, was discussed, not just for blocking or banning for editorial activity, but for blocking/banning for issues outside of Wikimedia platforms.

The presentation, “How Editorial Decisions Reach beyond Wikipedia,” covered the impact of editorial decisions on content neutrality, contributors' involvement and the well-being of Wikimedia communities. It highlighted the need to take into account the broader effects of governance and editorial processes.

Overall, the WikiWomen+ Summit offered a forum for Wikimedia movers and shakers to talk about gender representation, technology, governance, and community engagement. The event emphasized current action to build a more inclusive Wikimedia movement and ensure a diverse voice in the sum of humanity's knowledge, using new tools, research, personal experiences and open discussion.