2023:Program/Research, Science, and Medicine/H8DHKD-Insights from Wikimedia Commons: Gender and cultural diversity in images

The following is a mirror of what are publicly available details of submission made at the call for proposal platform, Pretalx. Any changes here may be overwritten by a bot while syncing updates from Pretalx (H8DHKD). Changes are monitored and may be updated into Pretalx if they do not change the context of the submission (i.e. correcting typographical errors).

Title: Insights from Wikimedia Commons: Gender and cultural diversity in images

Speakers:

Mohammed Sadat Abdulai (User:Masssly)

I’m a Ghanaian Wikidata enthusiast, and Wikimedia community member since 2011. I started the Dagbani Wikipedia project and worked as Art+Feminism co-lead in the past. I’m currently a member of the Wikimedia Research Newsletter editorial team, and in my professional capacity I work as Community Communications Manager for Wikidata.

Eugene233

Volunteer Software Developer and mentor for the African community of developers.

Pretalx link

Etherpad link

Room: Room 307

Start time: Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:20:00 +0800

End time: Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0800

Type: Lightning talk

Track: Research, Science, and Medicine

Submission state: confirmed

Duration: 10 minutes

Do not record: true

Presentation language: en

Abstract & description

Abstract

This session explores the insights gained from analyzing images on Wikimedia Commons related to gender and cultural diversity. With over 65 million files, Wikimedia Commons is a vast repository of media content. This project provides an overview of the gender and cultural representation of the image files uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, specifically those depicting humans, food, and dress. The session will delve into the existing variations and provide recommendations to improve the situation where necessary.

Description

Wikipedia is one of the world’s most popular sources of information, but its gender and cultural gaps are well documented. Wikimedia Commons, the media repository for the Wikimedia projects, is home to over 65 million files and has the most active users on Wikimedia projects after the English Wikipedia. However, how diverse are the images on Wikimedia Commons in terms of gender and cultural representation? This session will provide an overview of the image files uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and the diversity of gender and cultural representation in these images.

The session aims to answer four specific research questions. Firstly, what genders do images files of humans uploaded to Wikimedia Commons depict? Secondly, what is the breakdown of Wikimedia Commons images depicting food and dress categorized by region? Lastly, how do the depictions of food and dress in Wikimedia Commons images compare to the cultural diversity of the global population? By answering these questions, the session will attempt to quantify the existing variations and make recommendations to improve the situation where necessary.

Through this session, attendees will gain insights into the current state of gender and cultural diversity in Wikimedia Commons images. Attendees will learn about the potential biases that exist in the images uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and how these biases may affect the platform’s ability to represent diverse communities accurately.

The session will feature an overview of the research methodology, the tools and techniques used for the analysis, and the findings. Attendees will also be encouraged to participate in a discussion to share their thoughts, perspectives, and feedback on the topic.

Overall, this session will provide a unique opportunity to gain insights into the diversity of gender and cultural representation in Wikimedia Commons images. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the issues surrounding diversity and representation in online platforms like Wikimedia Commons and how they can play a role in promoting diversity and inclusion.

Further details

Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?

The session aims to analyze and quantify the cultural and gender imbalances in images on Wikimedia Commons, and provide recommendations to improve the situation where necessary. By doing so, the session aligns with the diversity theme, as it seeks to address underrepresented and marginalized communities on the platform. Collaboration is also central to this session, as it invites participants to contribute their knowledge and experience to the discussion and recommendations. Finally, the session focuses on the future of Wikimedia Commons, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and cultural diversity in shaping a more equitable and sustainable platform for years to come.

Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Average knowledge about Wikimedia projects or activities

Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?

• Onsite in Singapore
• Remote online participation, livestreamed
• Remote from a satellite event
• Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
• Pre-recorded and available on demand