#WikiHerStory: A 15-year Turkish Wikipedia editor shares her advice for women looking to contribute
A series showcasing the women behind Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects.
Basak, a longtime Turkey-based Wikimedia volunteer, was sitting in a concert audience gathered to hear a performance of Tchaikovsky’s classic “Swan Lake” when she opened the program booklet and saw some familiar words. “I knew that it was simply copied and pasted from Wikipedia,” she said, “because I could easily recognize my own sentences.” She describes that moment — looking around and seeing people read the content of a Wikipedia article she’d edited — as unforgettable. It is one of many treasured moments Basak has experienced since she started editing Wikipedia in August 2005.
But things have not always been easy for Basak and her fellow Wikimedians in Turkey, especially during a two-and-a-half year block of Wikipedia in the country, which was just lifted earlier this year.
We spoke to Basak as part of our new #WikiHerStory initiative, launched this month for Women’s History Month. #WikiHerStory seeks to raise awareness of and generate solutions for closing the gender gap on Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. It also aims to showcase the inspiring people — such as Basak — and projects working towards gender equity on the platforms.
Here are some highlights from our conversation with Basak:*
Q: When did you first get involved in Wikimedia projects?
I started editing Wikipedia almost 15 years ago. I had received an email inviting people to contribute to Turkish Wikipedia. I knew that I would love it before I even clicked on the link.
For many years, I contributed to the projects, mainly to Turkish Wikipedia, as an editor. I didn’t know any other Wikimedians in person. The first time I encountered other Wikimedians in the flesh, not just as usernames, was in a WikiCamp in Skopje in 2015. There, I recognized that I was not alone; there was a movement. Back home, I wrote to the village pump, a Wikipedia-centered discussion board, about my experience and then became one of the founder-members of the user group in Turkey.
Q: How do you currently participate in the movement?
I continue my work in Wikimedia projects as an active member of the Turkish user group. I present about Wikimedia projects and explain how they work, including presentations at universities to encourage academics to integrate Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects into their courses.
Most editors of Turkish Wikipedia remain anonymous. I have become one of the most visible and accessible faces in the group, representing the community at global and regional meetings as well.
I also try to be a bridge between the local community and the rest of the movement: I help organize the local part of international contests and translate documents related to the movement.
Q: What does gender equity on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects mean to you?
Gender equity means having a more balanced number of contributors from all genders on the projects. It also means involving women, not only to make edits but also to take part in discussions and policy-making on the platforms.
It might sound absurd to many, but I am very sensitive about adding information about the mother of a person in their respective Wikipedia biography. I am not comfortable when I see a biography that mentions only the name of the father but does not include a word about the mother, even if she was, perhaps, the most important person in raising that individual. I do my best to find at least the name of the mother and add it to the biography. Obituaries help a lot on this! For me, gender equity means being able to capture such sensitivities on the projects.
Q: What advice would you give women who are interested in getting involved in Wikimedia projects?
Be bold. Let yourself make mistakes. Remember that there is no such thing as a “small” contribution.
Q: What advice would you give to men who would like to support more gender equity across Wikimedia projects?
Support women in your family [getting] involved in Wikimedia projects. When a woman is busy with editing a Wikimedia project, leave her alone and help by washing the dishes.
Q: What has the lifting of the block in Turkey meant for Wikipedia, free knowledge, and gender equity?
Access to Wikipedia was blocked shortly after our user group started its activities. Of course, it slowed down the growth of our group and the Wikimedia projects. Now, the block has lifted and there is a great interest about Wikipedia. People are far more curious to understand how the project functions. Previously, everybody took it for granted. Now, I see that more people are willing to understand, and they get even more excited when they learn that they can contribute.
This high interest on the project might be temporary, but we can create much stronger awareness and gain new editors in this period. I see that learning about the gender gap on Wikipedia always moves people when they first hear about it. It is also a good time to make people aware of this situation in Wikipedia and how they can be a part of closing the gap.
*This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
We invite you to learn more about Wikipedia’s gender gap and help us close the divide by joining #WikiHerStory today. You can sign up here for email updates about Wikimedia’s ongoing gender equity efforts.
