Wikimedia Diversity Conference 2013/Documentation/women-edit

Session: Silvia Stieneker // Women edit - from a small local initiative to a nationwide network

Abstract

Wikimedia Germany's programme “Women edit“ seeks to encourage women to actively participate in Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikivoyage. In November 2012, a monthly meet-up for women in Berlin who are interested in editing Wikipedia was initiated. It was soon found that many of the participating women are interested in real-life-contacts with experienced Wikiwomen and other female newbie-editors on a regular basis - it was thus decided to transfer the local idea to other places in Germany. The goal is to establish a nationwide network for women editors, who support each other (online and offline) and tell others that contributing is fun.

Starting point / Insights

• Monthly meetup in Berlin for women (in local computer school for women)
• Open to any woman, can edit whatever they like
• New articles for Wikipedia
• Many minor edits
• New editors for Wikivoyage
• Women come regularly, bring guests
• Media interest

It's a social event, not a class! safe space for women (no male guests, no male teachers). Empowerment!

"Wikiwomen" network

Challenges

• Find female Wikimedians to offer similar initiatives elsewhere, but it is a challenge
• Fear that if they offer such thing, they are considered feminist
• People are busy! don't have time, have jobs (and maybe "jobs" within Wikimedia too, like being admins)
• Believe gender is not an important category and such efforts are not so effective (or "absolutely useless")
• Some people do not want to cooperate with German chapter

Ideas

• German chapter has not organized edit-a-thon yet
• Looking for supporters for the project and idea
• Have partner organizations
• Barcamp and coffee party at German Wikicon in November 2013
• January 2014, "Wikiwomen weekend"
• Project page on German Wikipedia
• Facebook group with ~150 members

Questions / Next steps recommendations

Q: Do you have metrics?

A: Write down user names, some have become regular editors, some not

Q: Do follow up? surveys? more info from attendees?

A: Not yet, maybe next year