The Royal Society Publishing held a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon to promote diversity in STEM. This event celebrates International Women’s Day, which is coming up on the 8th of March. The number of entries of women scientists on Wikipedia is woeful. The proportion of women editors on Wikipedia fluctuates from 8% to 13%. The Royal Society, which boasts the world’s first scientific journal, has been championing this event the past few years to increase the public visibility of women’s contributions in STEM.
You can help by writing at least one entry to celebrate a STEM woman who has influenced you, or by adding content to existing pages. In particular, do your bit to highlight the achievements of a STEM woman from your field in your country.
I’ve created a new page for a STEM Woman from Australia who has influenced me, Associate Professor Katharine Betts. I’m still adding content, but I’ve completed the section that commemorates her achievements in advancing women’s reproductive rights.
More on the Royal Society project with links to tutorials. Even if you’ve never worked on a Wiki page, you’ll be editing in no time!: http://goo.gl/hLE4Un
Cheat Sheet for editing a Wiki page: http://goo.gl/jw1K6t
The Other Sociologist 