2025:Program/Feminism and Folklore: Bridging Gender and Cultural Gaps Through Wikipedia

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Session title: Feminism and Folklore: Bridging Gender and Cultural Gaps Through Wikipedia

Session type: Poster

Track: Diversity & Inclusion

Language: en

Launched in 2019, Feminism and Folklore is a global Wikimedia campaign that documents women's roles in intangible heritage and folk traditions. This poster highlights the campaign’s impact across linguistic and regional communities, showcasing how storytelling, gender equity, and cultural documentation come together to enrich the Wikimedia movement. As we celebrate Wikimania@20, this session reflects on how global campaigns like Feminism and Folklore sustain Wikimedia's vision of knowledge equity and community-driven collaboration.

Description

Feminism and Folklore is an international Wikipedia writing competition held annually in March, during Women’s History Month. It invites contributors to write about the intersection of gender and folklore—covering themes like oral traditions, folk tales, festivals, crafts, rituals, and biographies of women in traditional knowledge systems.

The campaign:

Engages 52+ language communities Has resulted in 14,000+ wikipedia articles in 2025 Encourages local storytelling and cultural preservation Focuses on gender inclusion and underrepresented content Is powered entirely by volunteers, proving the strength of grassroots Wikimedia campaigns

The poster will visually present:

Growth trends (communities, content, and impact over the years) Community spotlights and stories from organizers Campaign structure and open-source tools used Best practices for cultural and gender-focused initiatives

How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?

As Wikimania marks 20 years of free knowledge, Feminism and Folklore exemplifies the spirit of community-driven innovation, diversity, and equity. This campaign embodies the Wikimedia movement’s core values—collaboration, inclusivity, and global participation—by amplifying marginalized voices and cultural narratives that often remain undocumented. It is a testament to how Wikimedia campaigns can evolve into sustainable platforms for representation and knowledge justice, aligning perfectly with the future-forward reflections of Wikimania@20.

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

Everyone can participate in this session

Speakers

• SAgbley

Stella Sessy Agbley is a dedicated advocate for digital inclusion, community engagement, and knowledge equity within the Wikimedia movement. With over a decade of experience, I am the co-lead of the Wiki Hour Initiative, a coordinator for Feminism and Folklore, and a community board member for the Wikimedia Ghana User Group. For three years, I was the coordinator for the Wiki Women’s User Group. My work focuses on equipping girls, women, and the hearing-impaired community with digital skills to confidently engage with Wikipedia and its sister projects. Through capacity building, mentorship, and outreach, I promote cultural representation, gender equity, and inclusive participation in open knowledge.

• gonsalvestiven

I am a long-time contributor to the Wikimedia movement, beginning with the Marathi Wikipedia, where I’ve served as an administrator, creating content, developing templates, and maintaining project quality. My journey has expanded globally through organizing and coordinating campaigns like Wikipedia Asian Month, Wiki Loves Folklore, and Feminism and Folklore, which celebrate cultural diversity and document intangible heritage.

As lead coordinator of Wiki Loves Folklore, I’ve helped grow the campaign into a vibrant global initiative, engaging thousands of contributors across communities. I also contribute to Wikimedia Commons in areas like image categorization, licensing, and translation tools, and have previously served as a VRT member handling copyright permissions.

My work is driven by a commitment to free knowledge, cultural representation, and building inclusive spaces within the Wikimedia ecosystem.