On 11 February 2026, at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Wikimedia Spain, together with the madri+d Foundation, Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) and Complutense University (UCM), held the conference ‘11F: Making the invisible visible: women, science and equality’ to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The meeting brought together institutional leaders, experts in equality and representatives from the scientific field to reflect on the gender gap in science, the role of role models and the importance of free knowledge as a tool for reducing inequalities.
Science exists, but it is not always visible: the power of visibility
Fátima Anllo,cultural researcher and member of Wikimedia Spain, opened the conference with a clear and powerful message: women are present in science, but for many reasons they remain ‘invisible’ in many fields. Anllo also recalled that the UAM was the university where she began her scientific career, and that this meeting consolidates a collaborative relationship between Wikimedia Spain, madri+d and the universities of Madrid.
‘At Wikimedia Spain, we start from a very clear conviction: knowledge has enormous power to reduce inequalities.’
In her speech, Anllo stressed that accessible knowledge allows us to understand the world, make informed decisions and develop critical thinking, but that its transformative potential is activated when it is open, shared and reflects diverse perspectives.
“A contribution cannot remain invisible.”
Furthermore, 2026 is a special year for Wikimedia Spain because it marks the 25th anniversary of Wikipedia, a project that demonstrates that collaborative knowledge can become a common good of enormous value.
Spanish Wikipedia: a mission of its own, beyond translation
Federico Morán, director of the madri+d Foundation, highlighted the strategic importance of Spanish Wikipedia.
‘Correcting and increasing the number of entries and the presence of Spanish terms in Wikipedia… is not so much about translating entries, but rather about entries that are uniquely interesting to the Spanish-speaking world.’
Morán argued that Spanish Wikipedia should have its own identity and a mission beyond being a translated version of English Wikipedia.
The gender gap begins at school: the challenge of role models
Amaya Mendikoetxea, rector of the UAM, stressed that the lack of representation of women in scientific disciplines is a loss for society. According to studies, girls’ lack of interest in science begins at school and is due to educational, social and cultural factors: gender stereotypes, expectations and the absence of role models.
‘That is why I have always argued that on 11 February it is so important to highlight the minority status of female engineers, as well as that of male teachers and nurses.’
Mendikoetxea insisted that inequality is not limited to STEM: it is also reflected in the over-representation of women in disciplines associated with care, the humanities and some social sciences.
Equality at university: plans, responsibilities and results
María Pilar Charro Baena, director of the URJC Equality Unit, defended the importance of linking equality with institutional responsibility.
‘We have prudent regulations, and all universities have equality plans.’
She also drew attention to the need not to associate a country’s lower level of development with the situation of women, citing a 2019 United Nations report that showed similar realities in many countries.
From policies to results: the challenge of measuring impact
Marta Evelia Aparicio García, director of the University Institute for Feminist Research (UCM), emphasised that the challenge is not only to design policies, but also to evaluate their real impact.
‘The challenge is not just to have policies, but also to see how they impact. To reflect on what we are doing.’
Aparicio García highlighted the importance of dismantling messages such as ‘this is not for you’, which limit women’s career choices from childhood onwards. She also defended the role of universities in supporting families, offering resources and showcasing real and diverse role models.
Awareness and alliances: feminism as global action
Itziar Ruiz-Giménez, director of the Gender Equality Unit at the UAM, insisted on the need to raise awareness and change the social structures that reproduce inequalities.
“The good thing is these interconnections, these global alliances between feminist movements… The history of feminism shows that this is a global action.”
Ruiz-Giménez also argued that it is necessary to offer tools for everyday resistance: care, alliances, self-support and solidarity.
In addition, she pointed out that it is essential to introduce training with a gender and intersectionality perspective into teacher training, to prevent teachers from reproducing biases in the classroom.
General reflections: gender equality is also a question of structure
In closing, moderator Laura Chaparro from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology summarised some of the ideas that ran through the entire debate: raising awareness is essential, but it is not enough.
Inequality in science remains structural and, in many cases, invisible.
In certain fields, such as theoretical physics and philosophy, men continue to bein the majority. Science is not neutral: the questions that are researched, the priorities and the approaches also respond to historical inertia. Asking ourselves why we research what we research is part of the change.
It was emphasised that 11 February is indeed necessary. The pay gap persists, even at the same professional level, and there is still resistance to changing it.
Equality does not only mean more women in STEM, but also more men in disciplines related to care and the humanities. It implies shared responsibility and a review of anacademic model based on permanent availability, prolonged stays abroad and a 24/7 logic that is difficult to reconcile with personal life.
Less visible but decisive dynamics were also pointed out:
- Scientific evaluation systems continue to penalise non-linear career paths.
- Microdynamics persist in meetings and classrooms that reproduce inequalities.
- Discrimination is often subtle, cumulative and everyday.
- Equality plans exist, but the challenge lies in implementing them and measuring their impact.
The transformation must begin before university: supporting scholarship programmes, analysing why the presence of women in master’s and doctoral programmes is declining, training teachers with a gender perspective, and working with families and educational centres to dismantle stereotypes.
Because talking about gender is not just about women. It is about reviewing structures. It is about ensuring spaces free from violence and harassment. It is about ensuring that women are present in all areas, not as an exception, but as the norm.
Editatona: writing the missing history
The day ended with an editatona on Wikipedia, led by Rubén Ojeda from Wikimedia Spain, focusing on women scientists, with the aim of increasing the visibility of biographies that remain invisible in the encyclopaedia.
Because, as Fátima Anllo reminded us, a contribution cannot remain invisible. And the construction of free and diverse knowledge is a direct way to combat inequality.
Wikimedia Spain, the madri+d Foundation and Madrid’s public universities reaffirm with this conference our common commitment to a more equitable, diverse and open science.
Making women in science visible is not only a matter of recognition, but also of justice, academic quality and institutional responsibility.
We will continue to work together to ensure that knowledge, in classrooms, in research and on Wikipedia, reflects all the diversity that already exists in our society.
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