Women in Mapping: From Hidden Contributors to Global Leaders

Throughout history, women have contributed to cartography, even when their names were absent from the record. Documentation from as early as 1234 CE indicates that women worked alongside male mapmakers, carrying out technical and analytical tasks without public acknowledgment. For centuries, their labor remained largely invisible within the cartographic profession and the broader geospatial data development ecosystem. Only in recent decades has their presence become more visible. Although full gender equity in mapping and GIS has not yet been achieved, initiatives such as YouthMappers are actively reshaping the professional landscape by fostering leadership pathways for women worldwide.

YouthMappers operates as an international consortium of universities united by a shared commitment to social impact through mapping. Its stated mission is to prepare emerging leaders to strengthen resilient communities by defining their environments through geospatial representation. Under the leadership of Dr. Patricia Solis, director and principal investigator, the network functions as an interconnected ecosystem—communities nested within larger communities. The emphasis extends beyond cartographic outputs; it centers on collaboration among individuals from diverse cultural, academic, and ideological backgrounds working collectively toward societal benefit.

The scale of participation underscores the initiative’s reach. Students at 247 universities spanning 55 countries can establish or join campus chapters. Alumni, faculty members, and professionals engage as advisors, fellows, and regional ambassadors. These participants operate within an open-source geospatial framework, frequently collaborating with established networks such as the OpenStreetMap community. Because YouthMappers is structurally embedded within these larger open mapping ecosystems, participants are not peripheral contributors seeking entry. They are integrated actors, immediately connected to global workflows, shared datasets, and collaborative platforms.

Beyond the “Humanitarian” Label

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team played an instrumental role in shaping the conceptual foundations of YouthMappers. According to Dr. Solis, coordination models developed within humanitarian mapping circles provided the initial momentum. The realization emerged that response mechanisms to crises needed to be both faster and more anticipatory. Rather than mobilizing only after disasters occur, there was a need to build sustained capacity within local communities.

What began as a dialogue about improving humanitarian response evolved into a broader vision: empowering individuals to apply mapping and data collection within their own neighborhoods. The shift reframed mapping from an external aid mechanism to a locally grounded instrument for change.

Stellamaris Nakacwa, a graduate student and regional ambassador, exemplifies this localized approach. She encountered YouthMappers during her undergraduate studies in Geomatics and Land Management in Uganda. For her, mapping transcends charitable outreach performed for distant populations. Instead, it represents a practical methodology for addressing structural challenges within Kampala and its surrounding areas.

Working alongside peers, she engaged community leaders by presenting spatial data illustrating the severity of food insecurity in informal settlements. Hunger, while not the sole challenge facing these communities, was selected as a focal issue because of its universality and immediate human impact. Without adequate nutrition, residents cannot sustain employment, education, or daily responsibilities. By systematically gathering and visualizing data, the team sought to inform municipal authorities and advocate for targeted policy interventions.

Nakacwa also emphasizes that policy reform—particularly policies affecting women—depends on credible, structured information. Many of the barriers women encounter are embedded within political and institutional frameworks. Addressing these inequities requires rigorous data collection and evidence-based analysis. Mapping becomes a strategic instrument for identifying policy gaps and advocating for inclusive change.

Possessing geospatial tools and technical capacity, however, is insufficient on its own. Effective data-driven decision-making depends on ensuring that affected populations participate meaningfully in the process. Analysts must determine who experiences the greatest impact and in what specific ways. Only by understanding these dynamics can mapping initiatives support equitable, informed governance and sustainable community development.