" 

  
 ==Some background on the gender gap== 
 It was apparent many years ago that the majority of editors are male.  A number of questions immediately sprang to mind: 

 # How many are of which gender? 
 # What is the cause? 
 # What effect does it have? 

 The research on even the first question was slow in coming, and not great when it arrived.  An initial survey gave the 9% female so often quoted.  Systemic flaws meant that was probably nearer 16%.  Subsequently  the %age has risen, perhaps because the Internet, in the Western world at least, has a much more even gender balance of users than 5 years ago. 

 The cause has been suggested to be many things, including: 
 # Because women don't like confrontation 
 # Because men are rude to women  
 # Because it's  a man's environment innately hostile to women (locker room theory)  
 # Because women don't have time to edit 
 # Because it's technical 

 and several more.  The above have all been debunked to some extent. 

 The only research I am aware of that provides a partial answer suggests that it is related to confidence.  The big unanswered question is ""Is it something men like doing more than women?""  We needn't bother ourselves as to whether that is nature or nurture, but if women are more disinclined to volunteer for encyclopaedia writing per se (and lets face it, almost all men are disinclined too) then we have another potential cause. 

 As to the effect, there is certain research that indicates that subjects of interest to women are less thoroughly covered than subjects of interest to men.  This research has systemic issues though.  Secondly there are some issues about the way that female biographies are presented and linked - it is by no means clear that this is as a result of the gender gap, indeed closing the gender gap might exacerbate it.  Thirdly there appear to be more missing female biographies at the level that get one or two views a day.  Again, while editathons focussed on adding female biographies can address this (in a very small way), it is not clear that closing the ratio between genders of editors will. 

 HTH. All the best:  , ."