The Volunteers Writing Women into Wikipedia

In honor of International Women’s Day, the Wikimedia Foundation has launched its “Knowledge is Human. Knowledge is Her” campaign to celebrate the dedicated volunteers working to increase the representation of women on Wikipedia.

The initiative highlights contributors from Africa and beyond who are helping to close the gender knowledge gap on the world’s largest online encyclopedia.

Wikipedia, with over 64 million articles, is built by volunteer editors—known as Wikimedians—who contribute and verify information based on reliable sources.

However, systemic biases in historical narratives and traditional sources have left significant gaps in content about women. This campaign aims to spotlight those addressing this disparity.

“This International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the humans that are writing women back into history and playing a vital role in growing knowledge on one of the most visited websites,” said Anusha Alikhan, Chief Communications Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.

“More content about women and more women contributing to Wikipedia help create a knowledge base that better represents our communities. By sharing these stories, we hope to inspire people everywhere to learn about these efforts and join a movement that matters to how we all see the world.”

The campaign not only recognizes editors but also event organizers, workshop facilitators, and advocates who support Wikipedia’s mission. Masana Mulaudzi, Senior Manager of Campaign Organizing at the Wikimedia Foundation, emphasized the diverse contributions of these volunteers.

“Their stories range from librarians inspired by Wikipedia’s Citations Needed initiative to volunteers passionate about highlighting women in their countries and those dedicated to bringing knowledge from their language or region onto Wikipedia. These volunteers are helping Wikipedia’s content reflect the world in its full cultural and linguistic richness. You might not know her, but you might have read her work.”

Featured Contributors Making a Difference in Africa

Carol Mwaura (User: Cmwaura) – Kenya
A librarian and prolific editor with over 2,000 edits across Wikimedia projects, Carol is committed to increasing reliable content about women. Her meticulous approach involves identifying content gaps, researching sources, and adhering to citation guidelines. She also translates articles into Swahili, making knowledge accessible to a wider audience. In 2020, her efforts earned her recognition as one of Africa’s top 100 editors and one of Kenya’s leading women editors. Carol is also contributing to the organization of Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi.

Goodness Ignatious (User: Olugold) – Nigeria
With over 16,000 edits and more than 800 new articles across English and Igbo Wikipedia, Goodness is a key advocate for women’s representation and linguistic diversity. She coordinates events and provides training for new contributors while improving access to reliable content on Nigerian and Igbo-related topics. As a librarian, she ensures accurate sourcing of information, including articles on Igbo cultural concepts like Ọmụgwọ.

Agbenomba Abigaïl (User: aimeabibis) – Benin
A contributor with over 9,000 edits and 270 new articles on French Wikipedia, Agbenomba covers topics ranging from pop culture to politics. She actively organizes workshops and promotes gender equality within the local Benin Wikimedia community. Recently, she spearheaded the “Gender Equality in Benin” campaign, leading to the creation of 660 new articles and the improvement of 1,150 existing pages, facilitated by a WhatsApp-based engagement strategy.

The Impact of Wikipedia in the Digital Age

Wikipedia’s role has become even more critical in an era dominated by generative AI, as large language models, including ChatGPT, rely on its data. Ensuring that Wikipedia represents all communities equitably is essential to maintaining a balanced and inclusive knowledge base.

By recognizing and celebrating these dedicated contributors, the Wikimedia Foundation’s campaign underscores the importance of expanding women’s representation on Wikipedia, inspiring others to join the movement, and shaping a more inclusive digital knowledge landscape.