Introduction

The EmpowerHer Edit-a-Thon 2024 is a dynamic effort increasing the representation of African women in the domains of democracy, elections, and government. It is organized by Charter Africa in close cooperation with the Africa Wikipedia Alliance (AWA). The driving force behind this programme is to highlight the contributions of African women and promote a more inclusive narrative about their critical roles in governance, media and human rights. By means of a variety of carefully planned events and participation, the initiative tells the stories of African women who are change agents in their communities. The Edit-a-Thon a collective momentum towards closing information gaps and improving the representation of African women on Wikidata and Wikipedia by bringing together a broad group of volunteers.

Project Overview

The project was organized to provide participants with the necessary abilities and understanding to make meaningful contributions to Wikidata and Wikipedia.

Over the course of four weeks, from March 22 to April 23, 2024, participants were trained and invited to provide valuable information to Wikidata about the accomplishments of African women. The edit-a-thon aimed to enable African women to take back control of their stories and occupy the space they deserve in the digital sphere by using this multidimensional strategy to catalyze a dramatic shift in the depiction of African women on digital platforms.

Key Activities

As a Wikidata trainer, I was responsible for implementing a series of training to guarantee that participants were competent and self-assured in using Wikidata's features. This required careful planning ahead of time for the training sessions, which included making extensive slides that were carefully selected to condense the key ideas and features of Wikidata in an understandable way. I led the participants through the complexities of Wikidata during the training sessions, explaining its features and teaching the useful skills required for its use.

During the course of the edit-a-thon, I immersed myself fully in a spectrum of activities, ranging from review calls and launch events to immersive training sessions and dedicated office hours. Here's a detailed breakdown of the key initiatives I spearheaded:

Attending Review Calls, Launch Events, and Training Sessions: From the inception of the edit-a-thon to its culmination, I actively participated in review calls to track progress, launch events to mark significant milestones, and training sessions to impart essential skills to participants.
Conducting Wikidata Trainings: I assumed the pivotal role of training participants in the intricacies of Wikidata. This encompassed comprehensive sessions covering fundamental aspects such as:

Creating a Wikidata Item: Guiding participants through the process of creating and structuring Wikidata items to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Adding Citations to Wikidata Items: Demonstrating the importance of verifiability by instructing participants on how to add citations to Wikidata items and effectively search for credible references.
Utilizing Wikidata Query Service: Equipping participants with the tools and techniques required to harness the power of Wikidata Query Service for data retrieval and analysis.
Linking Wikidata Items to Wikipedia: Illustrating the significance of interconnectedness by showcasing methods to seamlessly link Wikidata items to corresponding Wikipedia articles.

Providing One-on-One Support: Recognizing the diverse needs and challenges faced by participants, I offered personalized online support to address their queries and concerns. This involved engaging in dialogue through questions and answers sessions and sending video tutorials tailored to specific challenges encountered on Wikidata platforms.

Key Achievements

The participants' incredible passion and commitment were evident throughout the programme, demonstrating their steadfast dedication to learning and active participation. There was a tangible sense of excitement and camaraderie at the edit-a-thon because of their willingness to learn new things and make significant contributions to the project.

Challenges and Solutions

Concerning Wikidata, participants hardly voiced any worries or difficulties during the course of the programme, indicating that they were proficient and at ease using the platform. Their competence and comfort with Wikidata demonstrated a respectable degree of readiness and knowledge with the nuances of modifying structured data.

Conclusion

Over the course of the program's four weeks, it created a vibrant atmosphere of mutual learning and cooperation, giving trainers and participants alike the priceless chance to learn and be taught. A culture of ongoing learning and development was fostered by the programme, which provided a dynamic forum for the sharing of concepts, perceptions, and knowledge.

The program's success was largely due to the participants' contagious enthusiasm, which acted as a spur for the trainers to give the necessary materials and assistance because of their sincere desire to participate. The trainers and participants had a symbiotic relationship that created a loop of empowerment and motivation whereby one party's enthusiasm encouraged the other to reach new levels of involvement and participation.