Session Details

Session Type: Roundtable
Speakers: Manavpreet Kaur
Original Language: English
SimTrans: will be available in Arabic

Description

The gender gap in digital spaces continues to be a pressing issue, especially within open knowledge platforms such as Wikimedia. This roundtable discussion will explore how the underrepresentation of women individuals in Wikimedia projects and other digital public goods not only affects the quality and inclusivity of content but also limits the diversity of perspectives that are crucial for shaping equitable digital spaces. Wikimedia, as one of the largest digital public goods, reflects the disparities that exist in broader society, where systemic biases and barriers prevent equal participation.

The discussion will begin by examining the scale and impact of the gender gap on Wikimedia projects. Women currently make up only around 15-20% of contributors to Wikipedia, and this imbalance has resulted in significant gender biases in content, from missing biographies of notable women to skewed coverage of topics related to women's health, history, and achievements. Digital public goods are meant to serve as shared resources for all, yet this gap reveals how a significant portion of the population remains underrepresented both as contributors and in the content itself.

This session will bring together advocates, and community members to envision a more equitable digital future.