On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 1:28 PM, Chris Keating <chriskeatingwiki@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Anne, Kerry and Christina - and everyone else,

So the Wikimedia Conference programme committee appears keen to do something useful in terms of creating space for gender - gap work. So I wondered if you had any further thoughts about what *might* work at the Wikimedia Conference.

As Anne points out it is an audience of people from Wikimedia movement organisations - board members, executive directors (where they exist), and a smaller number of other staff. Compared to other Wikimedia events there is probably a greater language and geographical diversity. There is also a reasonable degree of awareness of the issue - better than one would find if you put english Wikipedia administrators in a room.

The main focus for the conference is going to be on helping Wikimedia organisations grow, learn and improve - we are looking to give people practical outcomes, and are avoiding theoretical discussion as far as possible.

Thoughts on what we can put in the programme on this issue are very welcome :) (I'll pass everything on to the programme committee, though I suspect I'm not the only member of it subscribed to this list).

Thanks and happy new year!

Chris

The simplest thing to do is to describe the gender gap related efforts that other organizations have sponsored, urge the various movement entities to consider their own initiatives and - especially - push them to innovate. Few if any organized efforts have resulted in even small lasting change, so brainstorming ways in which chapters etc. can put their resources - real life organization and money - to use will be of greatest benefit. This is an area where a chapter or affiliate has the opportunity to be a global leader and to have a high profile impact, and the more they understand that the more likely they are to participate.