The Emirates Literature Foundation and the Wikimedians of UAE User Group are celebrating International Women’s Day with action by hosting an editathon. The event that will see people coming together to edit and improve Wikipedia pages aims to narrow the gap between the number of pages for Emirati men and women on the online free content encyclopedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world. The editathon is taking place at Sharjah’s iconic Foster + Partners-designed House of Wisdom between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on March 8, however those who can’t attend in-person can contribute virtually.
The open invitation to the Wikipedia community in the emirates recognises Emirati women’s achievements at local and international levels. And the target is to create a minimum of 50 new Wikipedia pages, which can be crafted in Arabic, English or both, for notable Emirati women. Participants will need to bring their own laptops so they can be part of the cause.
Maryana Iskander, Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, and Ahlam Bolooki, Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and leader of the UAE Wikimedia User Group, will open the exciting event for writing aficionados with a short greeting. And once the supportive wordsmiths have finished their pieces, they will have the opportunity to do some networking while enjoying some free refreshments. Additionally, all attendees will receive participation certificates recognising their contribution as well as a small gift. And those who create the greatest number of articles during the event will receive a special prize from the organisers.
Did you know?
Since Emirates Literature Foundation launched the Kateb Maktub initiative, which led to the team taking on the Wikimedians of UAE User Group, it has successfully increased the number of pages of Arab authors on Wikipedia, in Arabic and English, by over 500 percent.
To register for the event, go to: https://zfrmz.com/aJ32poQgLJ9vIZvKOGpP
