Africa Wiki Women boosts African women’s visibility onlineCEFR B1
4 Apr 2026
Adapted from Laura, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Mad Knoxx Deluxe, Unsplash
Africa Wiki Women aims to increase the visibility of African women on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms. The group grew from members' concerns about low representation in the Wikimedia movement, and Global Voices published an interview with co-founder Ruby Damenshie-Brown on International Women's Day 2026.
The project was founded by Ruby Damenshie-Brown (Ghana), Bukola James (Nigeria) and Pellagia Njau (Tanzania). Ruby joined the Wikimedia community in 2019 and saw that most contributors were men. A 24-hour Wiki Women in Red edit-a-thon showed how hard it was to find published sources about notable African women, and the Sheroes of Africa campaign in April 2022 also highlighted gender gaps.
Africa Wiki Women runs training, contribution campaigns and mentorship programmes. It has trained more than 500 women, and participants have created and improved hundreds of articles, including profiles of female leaders and pages about organisations led by women. The initiative also focuses on building skills and leadership so women can become long-term contributors.
Obstacles include unreliable internet, lack of devices, low digital confidence, time constraints and a shortage of visible role models and published sources.
Difficult words
- visibility — being easily seen or noticed by many people
- representation — presence of a group within a larger group
- contributor — a person who adds content or workcontributors
- edit-a-thon — an event to edit many pages together
- mentorship — advice and support from a more experienced person
- initiative — a new plan or action to solve a problem
- obstacle — something that makes progress or success difficultObstacles
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could training and mentorship help women become long-term contributors to Wikimedia projects?
- Which of the listed obstacles do you think is most common in your area, and why?
- Do you think campaigns to increase visibility of women online are useful? Give one reason.
Related articles
AI to stop tobacco targeting young people
At a World Conference in Dublin (23–25 June), experts said artificial intelligence can help stop tobacco companies targeting young people online. They warned social media and new nicotine products draw youth into addiction, and poorer countries carry the heaviest burden.
Sudan turns to AI as health system struggles
Sudan’s health system is under severe strain after an almost two‑year civil war. A senior health official says the country is using artificial intelligence to help provide care where normal services no longer reach, while shortages and attacks worsen the crisis.
New acid-free way to recycle lithium-ion batteries
Researchers at Rice University developed a two-step FJH-ClO process that separates lithium and other metals from spent batteries. The lab-scale method recovers valuable materials with less energy, fewer chemicals and less wastewater.
