Image: Art+Feminism/Tumblr
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The researchers used several algorithms to map the “influence” of historical figures on Wikipedia by calculating the amount of incoming and outgoing links to and from their entries. Across the 24 language editions of Wikipedia, the study found that the most “influential” historical figures were nearly all white, Western men. The only woman to crack the top 10 was Elizabeth II, and only 5 made it into the top 100.Advocates for gender equality on Wikipedia argue that this is due more to the exclusion of women’s historical contributions on the site than the facts of history themselves. Of course, positions of power have long been reserved for men in many parts of the world—and, thankfully, that is slowly changing—but that such a staggeringly small number of women rank in the top 100 most historically influential people on Wikipedia, an increasingly important source of information, is still worrisome.“This is the first study that we know of to analyze the gender gap in content from a statistical perspective; previously the content gap was articulated through a comparative reading of two similar gendered articles,” Mabey and Mandiberg told me. Previous studies compared the length and frequency of edits between the articles for Sex and the City and Seinfeld, for example. Obviously, it wasn’t the most reliable approach and assumed a lot about pop culture preferences in relation to gender.Most Wikipedia editors are white, Western men, and it's easy to write about what you know.
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Image: Art+Feminism/Tumblr
But to get to the root of Wikipedia’s gender imbalance, you may have to look at the culture within the organization itself. Wikipedia’s editor community has been accused of being trollish and borderline misogynistic. The same 2011 paper that identified the gender gap in Wikipedia’s editor base found that edits made by women are at a much higher risk of being overturned than those made by men. “This means that a much higher percentage of women at having their contributions negated by other editors which is an extremely disheartening experience and contributes to their continuing lack of presence,” the study found.Mabey and Mandiberg are trying to transform the “brogrammer” culture by recruiting conscientious editors through their Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thons. The first event was held in February, and they’re planning another for October. The Edit-a-thon event format has proven popular with other organizations as well, and the London-based Royal Society held their own in March to raise awareness about women’s contribution to science.“I think combating gender bias is important work because it may help make Wikipedia into a more universal encyclopedia. Hopefully other readers will become editors and join, and that would include more women,” Malik said.He, too, believes that making Wikipedia a more equitable encyclopedia begins with recruiting editors to work toward leveling the playing field. At the end of the day, the wiki is written by everyday people, which means it’s in our hands to write a history that accurately reflects the contributions of women and men.Wikipedia’s editor community has been accused of being trollish and borderline misogynistic.