With the virtual launch of the Africa Wiki Women – Accelerating Action for Gender Equality 2025 campaign came two robust Wikipedia training sessions: “Introduction to Wikipedia and Minor Edits” and “Performing Major Edits on Wikipedia for Journalists and Politicians.” Both sessions, facilitated by Muib Shefiu, an experienced Wikipedian and patroller, were designed to equip campaign participants with the skills needed to contribute effectively and achieve the campaign’s goal: improving the representation of African women in journalism and politics on Wikipedia.
Editing Wikipedia, the world’s largest encyclopedia, is a delicate and impactful process. Because of the wide range of possible contributions, spanning from minor edits to major article creation, the training sessions were thoughtfully segmented and scheduled across two days to ensure thorough learning and hands-on experience.
Building Foundations: Highlights from the Minor Edits Wikipedia Training.
The first training, “Introduction to Wikipedia and Minor Edits”, was held on April 25th.
This session laid the groundwork for ethical and impactful contributions on Wikipedia, introducing participants, especially new editors, to the essential steps involved in creating a Wikipedia account. It emphasised avoiding plagiarism, steering clear of using social media as references, and making minor edits such as fixing typos, improving grammar, adding citations, and correcting factual errors. The practical segment guided participants through real-time application of these minor edits, reinforcing the key points covered.
Stepping Up: Insights from the Major Edits Training.
The second training, “Performing Major Edits on Wikipedia for Journalists and Politicians,” was held on May 2nd and began with an interactive icebreaker session, which reinforced Wikipedia’s five pillars and dispelled common misconceptions.
A major focus of the session was Wikipedia’s notability guidelines, particularly for journalists and politicians, aligning with the campaign’s target area. The practical segment covered creating articles in the recommended Draft space, and continued with the process of adding citations and references, and translating articles to broaden accessibility.
The training concluded with a collaborative review of a sample article, emphasising the importance of citations, categorisation, and thorough verification for maintaining Wikipedia’s standards.
Campaign Impact and Next Steps.
With momentum building, Africa Wiki Women has lined up in-person editathons across African countries such as Nigeria, Botswana, and Ghana, along with additional online training sessions, including a Wikidata training scheduled for May 9th, 2025, continuing this comprehensive effort to enable edits across various Wikimedia projects. Be part of this campaign today, register on the event page and join our upcoming trainings while contributing edits across Wikimedia platforms.
Be part of this campaign today, register on the event page and join our upcoming trainings while contributing across Wikimedia platforms.
Stay connected with us on social media:
Instagram: @africawikiwomen Twitter: @africawikiwomen
Facebook: Africa Wiki Women
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