As women, each and every one of us have encountered sexism in one form or another, but how many of us have chosen to actively channel the negativity into a positive public endeavour?

Instead of simply dismissing the unfavourable attitude exhibited towards her and her fellow women, one female biologist has chosen to give back in a way which we celebrates the generations of women which have gone before her.

As a regular recipient of sexist email, Emily Temple-Wood decided that for every one demeaning piece of correspondence she receives. she and her team would create one Wikipedia page which celebrates the life and times of a female scientist.

According to a report in The Independent which cited Wikimedia as its source: "Temple-Wood has been targeted by a significant amount of harassment based on her gender."

Elaborating on this issue, it continues: "Throwaway email addresses frequently send her requests for dates, condescendingly discuss her body, insinuate that she got to where she is through sexual favours, ask her to reserve those favours for themselves, and when she doesn’t reply, they spew profanities."

Having founded WikiProject Women Scientists back in 2012, Emily estimates that she and her team have written more than 2,500 entries on female scientists in an effort to offer a much-needed perspective on the scientific community.

While Emily acknowledges the work her and her team have done, she insists they are nowhere near completion, asserting: "We had like fourteen or fifteen hundred articles on women scientists. Out of what we estimated was three thousand and what we now estimate as more like four or five thousand that needed to be created."

Paying tribute to Emily, Wikipedia editor Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight raised issue with the sexist and disparaging remarks levelled at the female biologist, saying: "Someday we’ll be writing a biography about her and her scientific discoveries, mark my word."

"I wonder what her harassers and detractors will think about that, especially if Emily’s scientific discoveries help heal their mom or sister," Rosie questioned.

 

What an inspiration she is.

 

SHARE to show your support for Emily and her endeavours.

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