Student adds new profile for each harassing comment
In a move to silence critics and empower women worldwide, science student Emily Temple-Wood is turning toward the web pages of Wikipedia.
A microbiology student at Loyola University in Chicago and a Wikipedia administrator, Temple-Wood has vowed to create a Wikipedia profile of a notable woman in science for every harassing or sexist comment she receives online.
And the comments are aplenty. In the few months since making her decision, she has already created or updated pages for more than 50 women, with a backlog of nearly 100 more still to be written.
Her decision comes amid a slew of degrading and dismissive comments directed at her, mostly from the community of Wikipedia users. In an interview with BBC, Temple-Wood explains that comments suggesting corrections or disagreeing with the information she has posted do not warrant pages to be published.
“It’s specifically being sexist and gross,” says Temple-Wood. “If it makes me want to cry, it definitely goes on the list, or if it would make my mom uncomfortable.”
Though hurtful and humiliating, the comments have spurred Temple-Wood to move forward on the Wikiproject titled “Women in Science,” which she created in 2012. Noticing a void in the content available on women who had made notable contributions in science, she made it her mission to begin filling that gap.
Despite support for her project from all corners of the world, bringing these biographies to life among the pages of Wikipedia is no easy feat. For a profile to be published the individual must be deemed “notable,” and have several secondary sources citing their accomplishment. Given that the celebration of women in science and technology is still largely in its infancy, there is a certain bias against the recognition of these unacknowledged scientists.
Fortunately, Temple-Wood knows her way around a webpage. Since debuting as a Wikipedia writer at the age of 12, she has become more than familiar with the criteria needed to put a profile together. Not only is she is able to readily identify individuals who qualify, but she can move them into the repertoire of scientists more efficiently than most.
Her gesture sits alongside a push from many members of society advocating for women to succeed in the realm of science and technology. As recently as 1980, women were still admittedly paid and promoted less often than male colleagues for the same work. Though discouraged these women continued to pursue research, with passion for their work and belief in the value of their efforts. Groups such as the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology began to emerge and unite researchers from academic communities across Canada. The group, which is still active today, continues their push to promote women from all walks of life in science and technology.
On an encouraging note, the role of women in science has grown—so much so, that some have become skeptical of the advantages prescribed to women in today’s culture. Though enrollment of women in post-secondary science programs is on the rise, and in many instances on par with the number of men, retention of women in the workplace is still a growing concern. Some also credit the limited ability of women to earn a living in trades professions for the increased presence of women in classrooms—highlighting the layers of social factors complicating the issue.
In all, the simple gesture of Temple-Wood marks the ability of a single individual to power change and use the timeless work and passion of some to inspire the work of others.