Women comprise about 51% of the country’s population. But according to the Wikimedia Foundation, they make up less than 13% of Wikipedia's contributors.

Fortunately, some folks aim to change that.

On Saturday, March 11, the University of Michigan Library, in conjunction with UMMA and the Ann Arbor District Library, will present the Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon from 12-5 pm at the Shapiro Design Lab in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. The event started in 2014 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and has grown to include over 175 satellite locations.

Ann Arbor organizer Meghan Sitar stressed the need for women-focused editing: “After Wikimedia reported that less than 10% of contributors identified as female, Wikipedia set a goal of increasing that number to 25% by 2015. That didn’t seem to happen, so what you have is a gender bias in what is covered."

Men and women really do see the world through disparate points of view, and those divergences show up in Wikipedia entries.

"Information is presented differently depending on which gender is writing," Sitar said. "The areas of expertise and interest differ and even when women are represented [on Wikipedia pages], the focus tends to be on their personal lives and families rather than their achievements and careers.”

While other Wiki-editing events cover various topics, such as Ada Lovelace Day's focus on STEM and scientific entries, Saturday’s efforts will pinpoint art.

“Our librarians are working on lists of University of Michigan- and Ann Arbor-focused topics, such as local history, local women in the arts, and so on," Sitar said. "Or you can bring your own idea for something to edit. We hope to have lists that people can work from so they can see what needs a little or a lot of editing. That way, you can pick how long you want to stay.”

Of course, Wikipedia isn't the only place where women and minorities are underrepresented.

"U-M is celebrating its bicentennial this year, so we're doing a lot of reflecting on the collections we've built over the 200 years," said Jamie Vander Broek, librarian for U-M's Stamps School of Art & Design. "Twice in the last week, I've been in the position of looking at lists of significant items owned by the university and struggling to find women and people of color in the mix. For women, there were lots of options when it comes to images of females, but so few by them. Women's voices can feel so silent in the world of art history. That's why I think Art + Feminism is so important."

Sitar wants people to be relaxed at the Edit-a-thon so they feel empowered to make contributions to Wikipedia.

“Events will take place at museums, libraries, cultural centers," she said. "We want people to feel comfortable making the edits, hopefully develop an interest, and then take that with them to continue to find ways to improve content.”

Sitar stressed you don’t have to be particularly tech savvy to join; the organizers plan to have various activities, such as reading through Wikipedia and compiling articles that need citations, that don't require a lot of computer knowledge. And you don't need any certification to edit Wikipedia.

“It’s really as simple as setting up an account," Sitar said. "The whole idea behind Wikipedia is to be inclusive and encourage contributions from marginalized groups."

The organizers want volunteers to create their Wikipedia accounts before the event and sign up through Eventbrite. "If you are on our team, then you can see the lists of all of the edits that we make on Saturday," Sitar said.

The Shapiro Undergraduate Library hopes to attract a wide base of editors for the event -- including men and anybody else who wants to help clean up what is the default reference site for so many people.

“Partnering with the library allows us to bring in a broader community,” Sitar said. “We are looking for all people -- all genders, all gender identities, people with any level of tech skills. We are happy to work with anyone who wants to help!”

Patti Smith is a special education teacher and writer who lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and cat. Her website is pattifsmith.com.

The Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon takes place Saturday, March 11, 12-5 pm at the Shapiro Design Lab in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library, 919 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor. You must sign up to be a volunteer editor at the Edit-a-thon's Eventbrite page and create a Wikipedia account.