Here are a few edits to the manifesto. In relation to the safety issue, in
addition to its being impractical, it might be good to avoid the notion that
women more than men need a safe space, need to be made "comfortable" or that
men need to be "helped" or even want or need to be feminists. If indeed
there are aspects of the Wikipedia culture that turn women off, I'd assume
it is less a question of weakness than good common sense and the confidence
not to waste time where one is not happy. So my changes below
Our Culture: The Gender Gap group hopes to foster a neutral or dispassionate
environment where people can express their thoughts, feelings, and solutions
regarding the gender gap on Wikipedia. The goal is to collaboratively find
logical solutions to help improve the presence of women on Wikipedia and,
hopefully, its sister projects.
As this group touches upon complex problems that permeate 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 frustration and solutions in a
constructive way.
* Create an editing environment in which women in all the different
language Wikipedias are valued as equal participants. Additionally, explore
the ways in which women editors 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 learn, collaborate and participate
more fully in Wikipedia.
* Address stereotyping, assumptions and other obstacles to women's
participation. ( I'd be happy to see this last point dropped in its
entirety)
Please note: Any member found to be using the list in a negative way will be
asked to leave. This is because, at times, information shared may be
personal or emotional in nature.
Frances Kissling, visiting scholar
Center for Bioethics, UPenn
202 368 3954