It’s 2019 and the gender gap is still very much present in our society. We see it at work, in politics, in interpersonal relationships… Not only that, but this lack of balance also appears when we compare, both in quantity and in quality, the female vs. male presence in articles and encyclopedias such as the Wikipedia.
For that reason, and on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) will organise a day devoted to highlight the absence of scientific female related content in Wikipedia, as well as the need to change that.
What?
The aim of the #viquidonesPRBB session is to try to reduce the gender gap in the scientific field in Wikipedia, as a collaborative space which is accessed by millions of people daily.
The gender gap that occurs in the digital environment affects perceptions about the female figures in science and their achievements. We will work on biographies of female scientists researchers and on articles where women’s contributions are not reflected enough. We will publish in any language and focus the activity in creating, translating or improving articles.
During the meeting there will be a short introduction to Wikipedia where we will see some features of the platform that facilitates the work of editors.
When and where?
The event will take place on Monday February 11, from 3 to 7pm at the Charles Darwin seminar room of the PRBB. There will be coffee and snacks.
Who?
This wikimarathon, the 3rd organized by the PRBB with the collaboration of Amical Wikimedia and the Viquidones UPF working group, is open to everyone interested in gender issues in science. To come to the Wikimarathon you don’t need to know about Wikipedia editing, it will be explained at the session.
The activity is supported by the Viquidones UPF work group, and therefore the learning and edits that start during the wikimarathon can find continuity in this permanent editing space that meets every Tuesday from 5 to 8pm at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF).
In order to help in the organization of the event, please register previously; this way you will also receive further information about the event. On the day of the Wikimarathon, you must bring your laptop, if possible.
In case you want to continue the activity once the Wikimarathon is over, you can go to the Casa Orlandai (Barcelona), where there will be people editing till 9pm.
Other activities promoted by the PRBB centres
From Monday February 4, the centers of the PRBB (CRG, EMBL, IBE, IMIM, ISGlobal, DCEXS-UPF) will start different actions through the social networks, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. You’ll be able to track the activities by using the hashtags #SomCientífiques, #SheInspiredMe and others used worldwide on that day. You can read more about the IBE activities here.
The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) will also organise a workshop entitled “Design your own algorithm: Ada Lovelace course to decode the information contained in the molecules”. The activity will be held next Monday February 11 (in the framework of the Biennal Ciutat i Ciència) and there will be two sessions: from 9am to 12pm and from 11am to 2pm.
On the other hand, PRBB researchers will visit different Catalan schools with the aim of increasing the visibility of women in science.
You can check many other activities on the following website: 11defebrero.org.
