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Take Action Tuesday

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Make the Internet less sexist! Tell the stories of women’s contributions to science and society and share them as a Wikipedia page.

Around 87% of Wikipedia editors are men. So it’s no surprise that most of the scientists on Wikipedia are pale, stale, and male. The contributions of women and underrepresented minorities have been downplayed, or straight out erased, in the history of science, which has been written largely by men. But anyone can edit Wikipedia, giving us a unique opportunity to take ownership of the narrative and write in the great scientific minds whose work deserves to be recognized and celebrated.

There are projects on Wikipedia, like WikiProject Women Scientists, with suggestions for how to better the presence of women on Wikipedia and crowd-sourced lists like this one for women who deserve better Wikipedia pages. For first time editors, you can check out this basic tutorial for how to get started. Editing Wikipedia is also a great activity for building community. In fact, if you’re in New York this weekend, you can join the NYC pod at the Underground Science Festival on June 2nd for an edit-a-thon geared at giving women and underrepresented minorities better representation on Wikipedia.

500 Women Scientists is on its way to becoming a powerful organization representing the voices of tens of thousands of women scientists all over the globe. With your gift we can pay for the vital infrastructure we need. Plus, your donations help keep 500WS resources free and open, one less barrier to women in science.