I've noticed this for years -- fewer women's biographies vs. men's in an
average week at the DYK section of the main page. Maybe I've noticed this
because I'm a highly prolific contributor to DYK. But I've wondered how
many reader eyeballs land on the main page and notice the same thing?
Some statistics here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Recent_additions
Annually, there's a preponderance of women's biographies in March (Women's
History Month). And during the rest of the year, there's the occasional set
(6-7 "hooks") or occasional day (2-3 sets) where the majority of the
biographies are regarding women. But it's an uncommon occurrence over the
course of a week. The reason seems simple: fewer women's biographies are
being nominated by editors, so fewer are promoted, and fewer appear at DYK.
It almost goes without saying that fewer women's biographies are
created/expanded compared to men's but it's actually important to address
this, as IMO, it's the crux of the problem. I am not suggesting and would
not support setting limits on the number of men's biographies which appear
at DYK. Instead, I'd like to believe that issue/problem recognition is the
first step before we brainstorm some objectives, develop workplans (i.e.
monthly edit-a-thons anyone?), and measure outcomes.
I'm considering creating a proposal and applying for a grant to work on
this "percentage issue". Feedback?
-Rosie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Rosiestep