WikiWomenCamp came out of conversations between women around the world who are involved with Wikimedia's Chapters and GLAM efforts. Soon, other women involved with other Wikimedia Foundation projects and non-WMF wikis were involved as we started planning the conference. We wanted an opportunity for women (by gender or sex) to get together, learn from each other's experience, network with other women who can assist us in meeting our goals, feel like we are part of the Wiki Ohana, discuss issues related to being women involved in the wider wiki community, and share our passions with similar, like minded women.

Unlike a conventional conference, where everything's pre-planned and structured, WikiWomenCamp is a gathering where we decide for ourselves what we're going to get out of it by offering sessions each morning on whatever we want (and of course ad hoc sessions can form at any time). There's no agenda until we make it up! Now, that might sound a bit chaotic if you're never been to this type of gathering, but be prepared to be surprised at how much people can learn and create when they collaborate spontaneously.

With an emergent agenda, it can be hard to describe specifically what you will get from participating in WikiWomenCamp. In large part, that is up to you to be responsible for. At similar events, participants often say they have gained a greater sense of wiki community, broader sense of wiki way and wiki tools, or more excitement about our future together as well as inspiration and discovery.

At WikiWomenCamp, all women involved with the wiki community is welcome! You do not need be an expert at editing wikis, in running chapters or work for a wiki related organization. Collaboration thrives on diversity. All you need to bring is an open mind, and a willingness to participate, whether by teaching, taking an active role in discussions, helping people to connect to those who can assist them, or sharing your own . And, don't forget, WikiWomenCamp is what we make it, so let's make it enlightening, productive and fun.

The conference will be on 23, 24, 25 May 2012 in Buenos Aires. Details can be found at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiWomenCamp Sincerely, Laura Hale