Chapter 6: Female Experts

Women experts are severely underrepresented in media output around the world, many studies show. Working to include a balance of male and female experts could help shift the current paradigm.

The BBC 50:50 Project begun in 2018 involves record-keeping to show the proportion of women appearing in BBC radio, TV, and online content.

GIJN has compiled a resource guide for services with functioning, reliable databases used by journalists searching for experts. Listed below are a few other places where you can look for women to use as sources.

The Request a Woman Scientist platform sponsored by 500 Women Scientists helps journalists connect with an extensive multidisciplinary network of vetted women in science for subject matter expertise, project collaboration, conferences, and panels.

SheSource, from the Women’s Media Center, is a database of over 1,100 women with expertise in diverse topics around the world, searchable by name, keyword, and field of work. Source bios and photos are provided, and experts can be contacted through a form on the website.

Women Plus is a list of more than 750 self-nominated “tech experts” arranged by categories.

Foreign Policy Interrupted, which was launched to highlight and amplify women’s voices in foreign policy, has a list of female foreign policy experts around the globe and sorted by area of ​​interest currently in the news. FPI also provides tools and training for women experts.

Quote This Woman+ is a South African nonprofit organization with a database of hundreds of experts, on topics ranging from agriculture to xenophobia. The + represents the other groups that are marginalized in mainstream media whose voices they amplify (i.e. members of the LGBTQI+ community, persons living with disabilities, rural dwellers, or those living in poverty). The group also will help find a specific expert for you if you get in touch with them. Quote this Woman+ also provides media training to experts. Check out the website to get access to the database and sign up for their newsletter to get expert lists sent to you fortnightly.

This open directory lists more than 250 women experts on Japan and Korea, another lists circa 500 female experts on Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, and Taiwan.

The Brookings Institution, a Washington, DC-based policy think tank, has compiled the Women + Sourcelist of over 600 US-based experts on technology policy who identify as women and underrepresented genders. The resource allows journalists to search a pool of experts by background or specialty.

Women Also Know Stuff specializes in political science experts and also has a list of 50 other sites about female experts on many subjects worldwide.

Women for Media is a database of over 200 top female experts and leaders in Australia, searchable by name or keyword.

ExpertWomen is a database of women experts in Canada, searchable by keyword and with a contact button for efficient connection.