Gender bias in Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, makes knowledge sharing easy and accessible to a wide audience. Because anyone can access and edit Wikipedia with little training, the site offers a neutral setting to contribute one's personal expertise to a collective knowledge base. However, among other biases, a stark gender bias can be seen in both Wikipedia content and the culture of Wikipedia editing.
Contents
Evidence of the Gender Gap
Differences in Wikipedia Editors
Content Imbalances
Women-specific Characterization
Why Don't More Women Edit Wikipedia
Foundational Issues in Wikipedia
The online encyclopedia Wikipedia was originally founded to reflect a culture that encourages honest, diplomatic thought and neutral points of view. [1] The knowledge sharing site holds
Harassment Online
Policing in a Male-Dominated Space
Survey Responses
Responsive Measures
Wikimedia Foundation Efforts
- WikiProject Women Scientists:
- WikiProject Women in Red:
- WikiProject Gender Gap Task Force:
- Inspire Campaign: Offers grants to
- Art+Feminism campaign:
- WikiWomenWeek:
Other External Efforts
- Wikid GRRLS: This project teaches online and research skills and encourages teenage girls in the Detroit area to participate in online discussion.
Other Suggestions
- not enough coverage in independent secondary sources about notable women and topics
- “a broader base of contributors and editors…would naturally help broaden our content” [2]
- “implementing a system to assess contributors’ actual expertise, deliver positive feedback, and provide training to increase female participation.” [3]
Ethical Concerns
Bias
Drachen Traffic Example/Wikipedia Articles
- ↑ Emma Paling “Wikipedia’s Hostility to Women”, (The Atlantic, Technology, Oct 21 2015)
- ↑ Katherine Maher “Wikipedia mirrors the world’s gender biases, it doesn’t cause them”, (The Los Angeles Times, Op-Ed, Oct 18 2018)
- ↑ Nicole Torres “Why Do So Few Women Edit Wikipedia?” (Harvard Business Review, Gender, Jun 02 2016)