WU has set an ambitious goal for this year’s International Women’s Day: giving women a stronger presence on the German version of Wikipedia. Only about 16% of all biographies on Wikipedia are about women. In cooperation wit Wikimedia Österreich, WU will hold an edit-a-thon that is intended to strengthen the visibility of women on Wikipedia, especially women from the worlds of business and economics. The initiative is part of “Women in Red,” an international Wikipedia project that seeks to boost the visibility of women’s biographies on Wikipedia and promote gender equality in the world.

The Frauen.Management.Report 2020 issued by the Austrian Chamber of Labor (AK) shows that Austria still has a lot of catching up to do compared to other countries when it comes to equal opportunities for women. However, the report also indicates that Austria’s mandatory 30% women’s quota for supervisory boards of large and publicly listed companies has resulted in noticeable effects. This means that more women get the opportunity to take influential positions that receive broad public attention. However, women are still blatantly underrepresented in the the German version of Wikipedia. “Women in leadership positions play an important role as role models, so it is crucial to boost their public visibility,” says WU Rector Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger.

WU’s contribution to International Women’s Day

Every year, WU organizes different projects on the occasion of International Women’s Day. In 2019, WU looked at women in the start-up scene, and in 2020, WU was involved in the performance of the play “Arbeit, lebensnah – Käthe Leichter und Marie Jahoda,” focusing on the eminent female scholars Käthe Leichter and Marie Jahoda. In 2021, WU is organizing an edit-a-thon, a kind of writing workshop where a group of people work together to edit Wikipedia articles. The event will open with an introduction to the world of Wikipedia. The participants learn about how the world’s most important online information portal works, what characterizes good research, and how to write solid, fact-based articles. After this introductory workshop, the participants go on to edit their own Wikipedia articles about successful women. Online advisory sessions are available to support the participants and discuss their questions.

An edit-a-thon open to everyone

The edit-a-thon is open to everyone interested – from Wikipedia newbies to seasoned editors. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshops will be held online on 2 different dates. The number of places is limited. The sign-up deadline is February 26. There will also be prizes – the participants can win a total of 10 gift cards, each worth €50, that can be redeemed in the WU shop.

Online writing workshop

When? Friday, March 5, 10am–2pm, or Tuesday, March 9, 2–6pm
Editing of Wikipedia articles: until Sunday, March 13

A public final event will be held on March 15, 9am–1pm, where the results will be presented.

Sign Up Here
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