Focus on Suffrage | 2019
Our year-long global initiative to create articles on suffragists, suffragettes and their achievements, not forgetting anti-suffragists
December:
January:
2020 global initiatives:
See also:
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| Welcome to WikiProject Women in Red (WiR)! |
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| Our objective is to turn red links into blue ones. Our project's scope is women's representation on all language Wikipedias (biographies, women's works, women's issues, broadly construed). Did you know that, according to Humaniki, only 19.98% of the English Wikipedia's biographies are about women? Not impressed? Content gender gap is a form of systemic bias, and this is what WiR addresses. We invite you to participate, whenever you like, in whatever way suits you and your schedule. Editors of all genders are equally and warmly welcome at Women in Red! |
Welcome!
 Gardner signing U.S. constitutional amendment on universal franchise | |
| Focus on Suffrage |
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| Use social media to promote our work! | |
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| Wiki Women in Red | |
| @wikiwomeninred | |
| on Suffrage/#FocusOnSuffrage Editathons | |
| Hashtag | #FocusOnSuffrage |
Women in Red has a special initiative for the whole of 2019 which brings focus to Suffrage. This provides opportunities for creating articles on suffragists, suffragettes and anti-suffragists, including their organizations, events and achievements.
While several countries adopted universal suffrage in earlier years, 1919 was particularly significant in the United States as it was the year when the Constitution was amended to include universal franchise. While there are a number of significant events during the year which should attract attention, editors are free to create or enhance biographies of any important players in the suffrage movement as well as articles on their organizations, events, successes and writings.
During the month of December, it might be useful to take account of significant events in November 1919 from 1919 in women's history:
- 1 December 1919: England — Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons.
- 1 December 1919: North Dakota — The State House ratified the 19th Amendment, becoming the 20th state to approve the federal amendment.
- 12 December 1919: Colorado — In a special legislative session, both the State Senate and House unanimously ratified the 19th Amendment. The governor signed the legislation three days later.
- 21 December 1919: United States — Anarchist Emma Goldman was deported from the United States to Soviet Russia.
- 22 December 1919: Australia — Grace Benny became the first Australian woman to sit on a local council.
- 23 December 1919: United Kingdom — The Sex Disqualification Act became law, enabling women to join the professions. In a broad opening statement it specified that, "[a] person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function, or from being appointed to or holding any civil or judicial office or post, or from entering or assuming or carrying on any civil profession or vocation". The Act did provide employment opportunities for individual women and many were appointed as magistrates, but in practice it fell far short of the expectations of the women's movement. Senior positions in the civil service were still closed to women and they could be excluded from juries if evidence was likely to be too "sensitive".
The virtual edit-a-thon allows enthusiasts from around the globe to participate in the work.
- The main goals of the event are:
- to encourage inexperienced editors and show them how they can contribute to Wikipedia by creating biographies of some of the world's most prominent women
- to draw the attention of more experienced editors to the need for concerted action on a specific area
- to support Wikipedia in combating the systemic bias against the coverage of women and women's works
- to promote the new/improved articles and images through social media (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter)
- What else?
- The lists of redlinks should provide inspiration.
- There is a section where you can list the articles you create this month, and another section where you can add the images you uploaded to Commons.
- This essay on creating women's biographies and our Ten Simple Rules might be helpful to newcomers.
- If you tweet about any of the articles, or upload any of the images to Pinterest, please indicate you have done so next to the article name.
Thank you!