Paula Gonzalez-Figueroa was fascinated with science from an early age. But when she began her studies to become a biomedical researcher, she was shocked by the industry's blindspot when it came to representing women. Subscribe now for unlimited access .
Login or signup to continue reading $ 0 / $ NaN /year All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue That was why she dedicated her afternoon to participate in a Wikipedia "edit-a-thon". "Wikipedia is something we all rely on," Ms Gonzalez-Figueroa said. "I think it's really important to raise the profile of women so we can set these role models for girls who want to work in this space.
" Hosted by Franklin Women, an organisation that supports women entering and working in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine, the event trained 30 women to become Wikipedia editors, or "wikimedians". Over a four hour session in the Shine Dome, women of varied ages, career stages and disciplines were trained in creating and editing profiles to boost the representation of STEMM women online. Out of all the profiles on Wikipedia, only 19 per cent of them are about women, while only 10 per cent of Wikipedia editors are women.
Franklin Women founder and medical researcher Dr Melina Georgousakis said this training was critical to resolving the sector's gender b.