Women historians and philosophers join the “100 esperte” database

Another blow to “manels,” the panels and events where women are marginal or absent. We await the Global Media Monitoring Project data, which will tell us how much women have entered the public debate.

After women scientists, economists, and experts in international politics, historians and philosophers “debut” on 100esperte.it. The online database created by GiULiA and the Pavia Observatory – developed thanks to the Bracco Foundation and supported by the European Commission – has grown to feature new names of competent women, all ready to be contacted and interviewed by the media and those who organize events for interviews, debates, festivals. Another blow to “manels,” the panels and events where women are marginal or often completely absent.

The database, created in 2016 to give visibility and voice to female expertise, focuses on a rigorous selection that rewards merit and authority, as well as an interest in gender issues. As for the other sectors, the selection was conducted under the supervision of a scientific committee and the collaboration of a reference research body: in this case, the University of Milano-Bicocca for Philosophy, with the contribution of professor and journalist Marina Calloni (who is part of GiULiA), and the University of Cagliari for History, with professor Cecilia Novelli. The names, references, research topics and specific skills, roles and career paths, publications and awards of the most important Italian women historians and philosophers can be found online. Together with the selection criteria as well as the names of the scientific committee.

While awaiting the new Global Media Monitoring Project results that will tell us how much women have entered the public debate (in 2015, women experts were only 18 percent), #100esperte continues its work to promote gender equality in the media and a female vision of the world.