In the run up to International Women’s Day on the 8th March, Wiki Loves Women is launching the on-Wikipedia translation drive #16WikiWomen.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/16_African_Women_Translate-a-thon

The idea is for Wikipedians to take 16 days to make translate the Wikipedia biographies on 16 notable African women, into at least 16 languages (African or international languages).

The articles to be translated will be the biographies of African women. The list of language can be, but is not limited to:

• International languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, German

• African languages: Akan, Afrikaans, Igbo, Hausa, Wolof, Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, Shona, Swahili, Yoruba, Sudanese, Amharic, Tsonga, Ewe, Sesotho, Chichewa, etc.

The list of the 16 women biographies that will be translated are:

1. Malouma, a Mauritanian singer, songwriter and politician
2. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, a South African politician. The best initial version is in French w:fr:Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge
3. Cri-Zelda Brits, a South African cricketer
4. Anna Tibaijuka, a Tanzanian politician and former under-secretary-general of the United Nations
5. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a Nigerian women’s rights activist
6. Flora Nwapa, a Nigerian author who writes predominantly in Igbo
7. Samia Yusuf Omar, Sprinter from Somalia
8. Maggie Laubser, a South African painter
9. Fatima Massaquoi, a pioneering educator from Liberia
10. Frances Ames, a South African neurologist, psychiatrist, and human rights activist
11. Asmaa Mahfouz, a Egyptian activist. The best version is currently in Arabic : w:ar:Asmaa Mahfouz
12. Yaa Asantewaa, the legendary former Queen Mother of Ghana
13. Fatou Bensouda, a Gambian lawyer
14. Martha Karua, a Kenyan politician
15. Chinwendu Ihezuo, a Nigerian professional footballer

16. Nassima Saifi, a Paralympian athlete from Algeria