More Women in Theory of History on Wiki
A study conducted in 2021, during the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the Portuguese-language version of Wikipedia, revealed that only around 11% of Wikipedia editors self-identified as women, while less than 2% chose “other” as their gender identity. [1] This lack of representation contributes to the Gender bias on Wikipediathat characterizes the platform, causing and perpetuating silences and distortions. For instance, out of 265.764 biographies available on the Portuguese version of Wikipedia, roughly 20% are about women. [2] Such asymmetries go beyond quantitative aspects: on average, women have to be more notable than men to be featured on Wikipedia, hinting at a glass ceiling that impacts female trajectories. Biographies of women also tend to include more details about their personal lives and relationships, and are generally less robust in terms of metadata and hyperlinks.[3]
This scenario grows even more alarming when considering intellectuals, a social group whose history is frequently told through exclusively male lenses.[4] Often associated with emotion rather than reason, with the domestic realm rather than public debate, women struggle to gain recognition for their work and ensure they are posthumously remembered. Trans women and non-binary individuals frequently encounter insurmountable barriers in accessing formal education, particularly at the university level.
The event Mais Mulheres em Teoria da História na Wiki (More Women in Theory of History on Wiki) is envisioned as an intervention in this scenario, coinciding with the Day of the Intellectual, celebrated on June 21st. This edition expands upon areas covered in previous years—such as history, philosophy, and anthropology—and casts a glance at law, a field deeply marked by gender disparities.[5] Showcasing the journeys of women lawyers holds immense potential for social transformation, be it for the impact of legal concepts over public policy, for the bonds between legal environments and social and political elites, or for the role law schools historically played in shaping other disciplines.
In light of these concerns, the 2024 edition of Mais Mulheres pays homage to three intellectuals with inspiring biographies. In the order that they appear on the banner at the top of this page, they are: Nize Isabel de Moraes (1938-2015), a Brazilian historian who settled in Senegal and developed research on the history of the African continent;[6] Almerinda Farias Gama (1899-1999), an attorney and feminist who led the typists’ and typographers’ union and took part in the 1933-1934 constitutional assembly; and Marcia Barbosa Mansor D’Alessio (1945–2020), a historian who received her Ph.D. in France and became a leading figure in the study of Theories of history and Historiography in Brazil.[7]
In 2023, Wikipedia ranked among the top 10 most visited websites globally. Standing as the largest and most widely used digital and collaborative encyclopedia in the world, the platform constitutes a space of significant visibility, directly impacting perceptions on various topics. In consonance with a series of initiatives aimed at reducing gender disparities in Wikipedia, Mais Mulheres seeks to highlight dissident knowledge and broaden conceptions about who can be considered an intellectual and which studies are worthy of diffusion amid broad publics.
All activities associated with this event are free. Certification will be provided by the Federal University of Minas Gerais. A Wikimedia Project’s account is required for registration. If you have not signed up for an account yet, you can create one in under one minute by clicking here .
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Schedule
Discover Other Initiatives
- Art+feminismAn international community dedicated to bridging the information gap about gender, feminism, and art on the internet.
- Les sans pagEs: A French project that focuses on reducing gender prejudice.
- NaPupila: Campaign that seeks to analyze feminist movements through a revision of art history.
- Whose Knowledge?: Global campaign that amplifies the knowledge of marginalized communities online, including Wikimedia projects.
- WikiDonne: An Italian collective of users that promotes actions regarding women and diversity within the Wiki movement.
- Wiki Editoras LX: An open group of informal female editors on the Portuguese-language version of Wikipedia.
- WikiMulheres+: Transnational group of Portuguese-speaking Wikimedia platforms users advocating for cultural diversity and knowledge equality in Wikimedia projects and movements.
- Women in Red: An international project committed to diminishing gender bias on Wikipedia.
References
- ↑ Perfil dos Editores da Wikipédia em Língua Portuguesa
- ↑ Dados obtidos em 19 de fevereiro de 2024 em: https://humaniki.wmcloud.org/search
- ↑ Wagner, C., Graells-Garrido, E., Garcia, D. et al. Women through the glass ceiling: gender asymmetries in Wikipedia. EPJ Data Sci. 5, 5 (2016).
- ↑ Smith, H. L. (2007). Women Intellectuals and Intellectual History: their paradigmatic separation. Women’s History Review, 16(3), 353–368.
- ↑ Bonelli, M. da G.. (2021). Profissionalismo, generificação e racialização na docência do Direito no Brasil. Revista Direito GV, 17(2), e2126.
- ↑ FARIAS, Juliana Barreto; LOPES, Maria Aparecida de Oliveira. NIZE ISABEL DE MORAES: memórias de uma historiadora da senegâmbia. Estudos Históricos (Rio de Janeiro), [S.L., v. 35, n. 77, p. 495-527, dez. 2022. FapUNIFESP (SciELO).]
- ↑ Pesar e homenagem: Professora Marcia D’Alessio
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