[Gendergap] Proposal: Forking gendergap: Main list for women and transgender, sublist for male supporters

[Laura Hale]

I'd like to propose that the gendergap be forked.  The main list would be
for women and transgendered who want to work together to help increase
female participation on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia Foundation projects.
The fork list would be for male allies who want to work towards a similar
goal.

This proposal is based on two things. The first idea is that women
themselves can probably best identify areas and needs regarding female
participation on Wikipedia. Assuming good faith, male contributors on the
list probably do really want to help work towards this goal and have women's
best interest at heart and want to see improvement in the total number of
female participants on the wiki... but there has been a fairly sizable
amount of research in the NGO sector in countries like Africa, where outside
organisations were not as effective as local organisations at identifying
local problems and creating solutions that work best in a local context.  In
this situation, women and transgenders would be the local community and men
would be the international NGOs.

The second issue is that at the moment, men appear to be dominating the
conversation.  (This may not by correct and I apologise if I am wrong.  I'm
making this assumption based on the names of participants involved.)  Men
are posting content with suggestions for women.  Men are debating if women
find the term dick offensive.  Men aren't asking the women on the list if
they have resources that they think other women might find useful.  Men do
not appear to be asking the women on the list what their opinions are
regarding the use of the term dick and if women on the list find the term
offensive.  Rather, it appears that men are speaking for women without their
consent.

I'd really like men to continue to be involved.  I think the best way would
be for the creation of a sublist, specifically created for men.  As allies,
they can discuss how to improve the rate of women's involvement.  As men on
that strategies sublist about the creation and implementation of solutions
to increase female participation, the information can be summarised and sent
to some one else off list to be posted to the main list.

I just worry at the moment that the heavy male involvement is intimidating
and keeping some women from participating.

Sincerely,
Laura Hale

-- 
twitter: purplepopple
blog: ozziesport.com
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