HERitage Amplified

HERitage Amplified (Women and Cultural Diversity on Wikipedia) — Wikipedia Marathon (edit-a-thon) dedicated to creating and enriching articles related to Cypriot Women aiming to overcome gender bias existing on Wikipedia itself and in the general online space. The event is organized by The Wikimedia Community Cyprus, in collaboration with the WICZ+ FOUNDATION.

The event took place on Saturday, 10^th of February, 2024, from 09:30 to 16:30, at the Paschalis Paschalidis Hall, Hellenic Bank HQ in Nicosia. The aim was to amplify the voices and contributions of Cypriot women from diverse backgrounds on the world's largest online encyclopedia.

Background

Wikipedia is the largest and most useful global online encyclopedia, with content created by numerous volunteers. Since its creation in 2001, it has about 47 million articles in 299 languages.

A study by the Wikimedia Foundation in 2018, examining the composition of contributors to the online encyclopedia, revealed significant gender biases. According to the results, 90% of the 3,734 surveyed contributors identified as male, while only 8.8% identified as female, and 1% declared belonging to another category. The overrepresentation of male contributors on Wikipedia highlights the issue of gender bias in the realm of contribution to the online encyclopedia. The contributor community, predominantly male, appears to reflect biases present in broader society.

In addition to gender bias, the study also points out the existence of other biases, such as geographical and racial, influencing the character and content of Wikipedia. This underscores the systemic inequalities present in the wider world that affect the way information is created and presented in the online space.

The purpose of this marathon entry is to create new and/or enrich existing articles on Cypriot Women in the Greek, English, and Turkish Wikipedia.

What is an editing marathon?

Editing marathons (edit-a-thons) are events where communities, such as Wikipedia and other partner organizations, edit content or improve specific topics or content.

Thank you for joining us to contribute to reducing the gender gap in the online space and strengthening the representation of women on Wikipedia.

Preparation

Make sure to register on Wikipedia a few days before the event – it's a straightforward process. Watch this video tutorial: How to create an account on Wikipedia (youtube.com). If you encounter any difficulties or find these steps stressful, feel free to drop us a message at wikimediacyprus@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to assist.

Consider if you have suggestions for women who should have an article on Wikipedia, but it is missing or is insufficient.

Think about where you can find sources of information that could be used for a biographical article;

If you feel adventurous, practice creating Wikipedia articles in the "sandbox," a page where you can make test edits without publishing. If not, no worries; this is what we will learn on the day.

Don't forget your laptop! If you don’t have one, simply drop us a message at wikimediacyprus@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to provide one for you or pair you with someone.

Useful Information: Experienced Wikipedia editors understand, above all, that Wikipedia is a collaboration. There's no need to worry, as you have the support of the entire community of researchers, reviewers, and fact-checkers and they will be present to assist with technical aspects and answer any questions.

Writing Articles

Creating an article on Wikipedia is very similar to writing an essay, as it includes a title and subtitles, text, and sources. Wikipedia has an encyclopaedic writing style, and articles are narrated in a formal manner, with specific sentences built on facts rather than opinions.

Credibility: When writing the text and titles, think about what is essential and what is not, and use as many credible sources as possible. All information should be easily verifiable. List your sources so others can check and expand your article.

When adding information to the articles, be sure that it is written in your words. Remember that all information found on the internet is protected unless the website specifically claims otherwise.

Photographs: Most of the photographs found on the internet are protected by copyright and cannot be used on Wikipedia. The best photos to use are those downloaded from the Wikimedia Commons (a sister project of Wikipedia), a repository of free photos due to fair use conditions.

Categories: Linking to other articles on similar topics to the one you are writing is also desirable. Each article should be linked to at least one category (e.g., Fighters from World War II).

Sources: We will provide some relevant sources, but if you have your sources, bring them with you. Printed sources (and online versions of those sources) are often the most credible, as well as online sources. Some examples include (but are not limited to): books published by major publishing houses, newspapers, magazines, peer-reviewed scholarly journals, websites from any of the above, and other sites that meet the same basic criteria as any printed source.

At this event in Cyprus, we will be improving topics and content related to "Prominent Women from all Communities of Cyprus." Our aim is to advance gender equality and enhance the representation of women in the online world.

The articles will focus on Cypriot women (Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, Latin) who have made significant contributions in various fields of societal life (arts, science, business, advocates for women's, social, and civil rights, etc.), especially those for whom information is not readily available. The period under consideration spans from the second half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, but a broader timeframe is also left open to our contemporaries.

The articles will be in the Greek, Turkish and English language and can fall into two categories:

Articles about women who don't have a Wikipedia article (or have a very limited one), with content created based on scholarly literature and reliable sources.

Enriching existing Wikipedia articles about Cypriot women.

Social Media

Feel free to share the event on social media before, during, and after the event with the hashtags #HERitageAmplified and #CypriotWomenonWikipedia.

Fundamental Pillars of Wikipedia

The five fundamental pillars of Wikipedia are:

1. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
2. Wikipedia has a neutral point of view
3. Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute
4. Wikipedia has a code of conduct with respect among all Wikipedians, and
5. Wikipedia has no firm rules except for these 5 principles.

Agenda

Event coordinator Dr Andri Hadjiandreou, Head of Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at University of Limassol (UoL Center for DEI)

Agenda

Start time	End time	Session	Description
09:30	10:00	Session Nr. 1: Opening and introduction	Registrations
10:00	10:05		Welcome address by event organisers
10:05	10:15		Remarks by The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Ms Josie Christodoulou
10:15	10:25		Remarks by the President of the Parliament, Ms Annita Demetriou
10:25	10:35	Session 2: Gender Bias on Wikipedia and Beyond	Ms. Barbara Klen, Representative of the Central Eastern European Wikimedia Community HUB
10:35	10:50		Mr. Michael Tyrimos, Managing Director, Capacitor Partners
10:50	11:00	Coffee Break
11:00	11:15	Presentation on the gender gap and its implications for women's representation on Wikipedia	Mr. Marios Magioladitis, President of the Wikimedia Community User Group Greece
11:15	11:45	Panel discussion	Ms. Barbara Klen and Mr. Marios Magioladitis, on the significance of diverse cultural narratives in shaping more inclusive knowledge landscape moderated by Dr Andri Hadjiandreou. Q & As
11:45	13:00	Hands-on training for new editors and beginners	Guidance on Wikipedia's guidelines and editing best practices.
13:00	13:30	Lunch Break
13:30	14:00	Session 3: Wikipedia Editing Workshop	Identify existing Wikipedia articles that need improvement or new articles to be created.
14:00	15:00		Collaboratively editing and improving Wikipedia articles related to diverse women's narratives.
15:00	15:15	Coffee Break
15:15	16:15	Session 4: Closing Ceremony	Collaboratively editing and improving Wikipedia articles related to diverse women's narratives.
16:15	16:30		Expressing gratitude to all participants, organizers, and supporting organizations.

Content for Editing Articles (TBP)

A proposed structure for the appearance of a biographical article will be provided at the event.

One-Week Follow Up Actions

One-Week Follow-Up Actions

13 February 2024: Live Online Discussion Forum & Collaborative Editing Session (18:00 – 20:00)

Join us for a dynamic live online discussion forum where participants can share their experiences, insights, and challenges faced during the Wikipedia Marathon. This interactive session aims to foster collaboration and provide a platform for ongoing learning. Following the discussion, we invite you to a collaborative editing session from 19:00 to 20:00, where you can continue to contribute to Wikipedia in a supportive and engaging environment.

17 February 2024: Recognition and Celebration Event

We are excited to recognize and celebrate your achievements! On 17 February 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 01:00 p.m. at Hogar, join us for a special event dedicated to acknowledging the significant contributions made by participants throughout the week. This follow-up event is an opportunity to reflect on the impact of your efforts, connect with fellow participants, and celebrate the success of the HERitage Amplified initiative.

HERitage Amplified RELOAD

Following the success of our first HERitage Amplified event we're organising an in-person gathering on June 8th, 2024 in Nicosia at the historic Ledra Palace Hotel in the Buffer Zone designed to empower Turkish-speaking women to take an active role in shaping the narrative of their culture and history on Wikipedia. Through interactive workshops and dynamic discussions, participants will explore strategies to enhance representation and enrich content related to Turkish-speaking women