Africa Wiki Women at Wikimania 2025 Nairobi

Wikimania 2025 marked a historic moment: the 20th anniversary of the conference held August 6th to 9th, both in Nairobi and online. The overarching theme, Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability. set the tone for deep engagement and meaningful dialogue across the free knowledge movement 

This year’s Wikimania offered Africa Wiki Women a unique space to connect with other feminists in the open knowledge movement, like WhoseKnowledge Soiree, WikiWomen Summit, and Lunch Event, most importantly sharing our technical research findings and recommendations at the conference. In other sessions and networking engagements, we took the opportunities to highlight some impactful projects, lessons, and forged new connections that are currently contributing impactfully to our projects.

Participation at Wikimania Soiree

At Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa Wiki Women (AWW) actively participated in the Feminist Data Soirée, a pre-conference event organized by the #VisibleWikiWomen initiative. This event aimed to explore the intersection of feminism and data, emphasizing the importance of inclusive representation in digital spaces.  AWW co-founder Pellagia Njau and Bukola James were among the participants, contributing to discussions on amplifying the voices of African women in the Wikimedia ecosystem.

The Feminist Data Soirée served as a platform for gender-diverse Wikimedians to reflect on and strategize for more equitable futures within the Wikimedia movement. It featured inspiring keynotes, community showcases, and creative spaces for collective reflection and connection. 

Africa Wiki Women’s involvement in these events underscores their commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of African women on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. 

Taking the Stage, Sharing Research

We proudly shared our research findings with a global audience at Wikimania 2025, highlighting the experiences, challenges, and achievements of African women contributors, and underscoring the importance of centering their voices in international conversations within the Wikimedia movement. The findings we believe provided valuable insight for wikimedians advancing open knowledge in Africa. 

Africa Wiki Women at Wikimania Nairobi 2025: Showcasing research and celebrating African women’s contributions to Wikimedia. (Images by Pellagia Njau CC-BY-SA 4.0)

WikiWomen Summit and Lunch Event – A Feminist Space

At the WikiWomen Summit, held during the Wikimania pre-conference, Africa Wiki Women co-founder Ruby D-Brown played a central role in shaping the program and supporting facilitation, ensuring participants felt welcomed and engaged throughout. The summit brought together women from diverse groups alongside movement leaders, creating a vibrant and inclusive space where gender-diverse contributors could share knowledge, exchange ideas, and co-create strategies for advancing gender equity in the Wikimedia movement. The program featured inspiring keynote addresses, lively panel discussions, and the introduction of the WikiWomen Taskforce team. What made the summit also memorable was meeting one of Africa Wiki Women newly recruited mentee, Amne Dauda from Tanzania, who had the chance to join Wikimania this year too.

A highlight was the WikiWomen Lunch, also co-led by Ruby and other women leaders, which added a special touch to our days at Wikimania. The lunch was filled with motivational and lightning talks, poetry recitals, interactive Q&A sessions, and moments of connection that kept the energy high and the conversations flowing.

AWW at Wikimania Village Pump

We hosted an engaging live podcast session at the Wikimania Village Pump, moderated by Ruby with Terry, Chinu, and Pellagia as panelists. The conversation gave the panelists an opportunity to share their personal journeys and perspectives on gender within the Wikimedian space, while also exploring practical ways to champion inclusivity across the movement.

Image by Ruby D-Brown CC-BY-SA 4.0

Amplifying Visibility and Equity

Beyond our participation in the conference sessions and activities, a few moments stood out. We joined the painting challenge, where Ruby D-Brown and Pellagia Njau painted the Africa Wiki Women logo on the canvas, leaving a mark of our branding on the art board. Bukola James, who is also a co-founder of Africa Wiki Women, was not left behind; she was invited to appear in the unveiling video “Wikipedia at 25,” which is scheduled for release later this year to celebrate Wikipedia’s 25 years and counting.  We elevated the presence of African women within the Wikimedia movement, forged meaningful connections with allies and movement partners, and actively advocated for gender equity and feminist governance. 

Conclusion

Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi was a milestone for Africa Wiki Women, providing a platform to showcase research, celebrate achievements, and amplify African women’s voices across the Wikimedia movement. Our participation reinforced the importance of visibility, equity, and collaboration in creating an inclusive free knowledge ecosystem.

We invite you to stay connected and follow our journey: join the conversation, share your ideas, and be part of our mission to empower African women contributors. Follow us on our social media handles:

• Twitter/X: @AfricaWikiWomen
  
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