The online Edit-a-thon on Women Writers, held with great success throughout the month of October, culminated in the publication of an impressive 167 articles, 128 of which were new. These articles were distributed in several languages: 78 in Basque, 44 in Galician, 24 in Catalan, 16 in Portuguese and 5 in Spanish. In addition, the edit-a-thon was attended by 74 people, 46 of whom were women.
The activity was organised by Wikimedia Spain, Amical Wikimedia, Basque Wikimedians User Group, Galipedia and Wikimedia Portugal.
International collaboration and local success
Wikimedia Portugal, in collaboration with CODA – Centre for Innovation and Digital Culture of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Porto, has participated for the first time in this celebration, and with a in-person event. The event was publicised by both Wikimedia Portugal and the Faculty of Letters, and managed to gather more than 50 people, of which around 40 were students.
The day was opened with presentations by Professor Marinela Freitas, on the mechanisms of concealment of women in literature, and Professor Mirta Fernández, who addressed the importance of Women Writers’ Day and the presence of Iberian women writers on Wikipedia.
Volunteer Danielly Figueredo led a practical session on gender gap in Wikipedia, followed by an introduction on how to start editing on the platform. The students quickly got down to editing entries, supported by Wikimedia Portugal members present in the room.
Participation of Amical Wikimedia
Amical Wikimedia also took part in the event, achieving the creation of new articles in Catalan, as well as motivating the creation of articles in Basque and Galician.
Although the level of mobilisation was discreet, the experience was positive and there are plans to repeat the initiative in the future, seeking more preparation time to improve the organisation and scope.
Contribution of the Basque Wikimedians User Group
The Basque Wikimedians User Group (Euskal Wikilarien Kultura Elkartea) contributed significantly to the event, promoting the project through the Txokoa section of Basque Wikipedia and through e-mails between members of the Association.
Seven writers were submitted who did not have an article in any Wikipedia, 5 of whom have already been created in Basque. In addition, a further 19 writers were proposed for translation, thus expanding their presence in several languages.
An initiative for inclusion and diversity
This initiative was designed to enrich the content on women writers in the Basque, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish languages. Its aim was not only to expand knowledge about female authors in these languages, but also to foster a more inclusive and diverse community on the platform, promoting the recognition and appreciation of female talent in the literary field.
This online event has proven to be a successful first approach towards the recognition of Iberian women writers on digital platforms. With plans to expand the scope of future editions and the possibility of including face-to-face editions in Porto, Braga and Lisbon, the impact is expected to continue to grow.
We thank all those who participated and collaborated. The experience has been valuable and encouraging, motivating us to continue working on similar initiatives that promote gender equality in the digital world.