Gender Gap Manifesto

This manifesto reflects our mission, goals, and hopes for the Gender Gap group. Discussion amongst group participants is governed by a code of conduct.

Our Culture: The Gender Gap group aims to foster an environment where people can express their thoughts, feelings, and solutions regarding the gender gap on Wikipedia. The goal is to collaboratively find solutions to improve the presence of women on Wikipedia and its sister projects.

As this group touches upon complex problems that have existed throughout human history, it is essential that we are both patient with and tolerant of each other. Let's try to help each other express both frustrations and solutions in a constructive way.

  • Create an editing environment in which women in all the different language Wikipedias feel safe and valued as equal participants. Additionally, explore the ways in which editors who are women might have a different perspective or different needs, and find ways to ensure that these are expressed and valued.
  • Encourage more women to become editors through outreach, as well as encourage more women to stand for positions of responsibility (e.g., adminship, bureaucratship, mediation committee, arbitration committee, board of trustees).
  • Encourage the Foundation to support or engage in research into the editing experiences of women on Wikipedia, including research to determine what percentage of editors are women, rather than relying on women self-identifying in their preferences.
  • Improve article-space coverage of women, women's issues and perspectives, and women's history.
  • Provide a space where women can empower each other and find support. This includes helping women feel more comfortable sharing their voice online.
  • Help men understand the obstacles women face and help them become better feminists.