Women in Red is a WikiProject (more details on those later) which has been running since 2015 and aims to turn Wikipedia “redlinks” blue. We need a community of editors and collaborators such as you to bring these women to the forefront.
It’s estimated that fewer than 20% of regular contributors to Wikipedia are women and, as of 2020, just over 18% of the biographies on English Wikipedia are about notable women. Highlighting these voices is hugely important not only within the University community but also to society as a whole. If Wikipedia aims to be the “sum of human knowledge” then why is it that the content on the site is not representative of the diversity of the population as a whole?
Anyone with a computer and access to the internet is able to edit Wikipedia. We have the power to tip the balance of this entrenched bias through the creation and control of information. We have the power to create role models for a future generation of female innovators by highlighting the fantastic achievements of women throughout history. We have the power to share knowledge and do good.
This site is a walkthrough guide to help train a community of potential editors like you to help redress the balance of biographies on Wikipedia. We will cover how to research, create, and publish articles and then, once you’ve cut your teeth on improving representation, talk about running your own Women in Red edit-a-thon.
If you’re new to Women in Red and want to take a look at the events the University of Edinburgh is running, take a look here.
If you’ve already signed up to an event, or want to learn to edit in your own time, click through to find out what you need to do ahead of editing.
