Women make up about half of a society and the population, and they tend to be pivotal vector for transfer of cultural values and norms since forever. Yet in free and open source software projects, where digital infrastructure and common tools for all of us are designed and made*, they represent only 3% of the developers and contributors*, compared to 7-23% in the software industry [global**-US*** data].

We believe, on top of other economical and social inequalities that limit women's participation in the space, it is because they are not always being treated fairly in the environment, especially when faced with a conflict - and they leave, as a means of self-protection; or are being forced out, if they openly object the process.

Here we document the process of leaving and advocate for non-discrimination and fair conflicts resolution, acknowledging everyones inalienable rights**** and needs as a human being, in the digital space of free software communities.

We also intend to [collect and provide]({% link get-help.md %}) some basic resources for individuals who currently are or recently experienced mobbing.

We believe, creating this common ground of everyone’s inalienable rights and freedoms being respected (in the digital space not less than elsewhere), is the only way for the humanity where woman are valued equally to man, and everyone in between. So we can all equally enjoy our lives, free from systemic violence; supported by a sustainable***** free software ecosystem.

#digital-dignity #coding-with-dignity

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You may also want to [read and sign]({% link open-letter.md %}) our Open Letter.

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Contributing

You can help this project by:

• adding your testimonial to the Personal stories directory
  With a pull request or by sending us a file to be uploaded anonymously. Please give projects and people fake names.

  • consider also adding the project(s) that made you leave to the Wall of shame directory
    An empty file named after the project would be enough, we'll make you an owner of that file.

• proposing a solution in the Solutions directory

  • if you know of a model project environment(s), by describing them in the Wall of fame directory.

• forwarding to others who have a story to tell or may be interested otherwise

• exploring and expanding on drafted solutions and options of [getting help]({% link get-help.md %}).

• helping with the graphics / web ui

• giving legal advice regarding human rights

• analysing 2024 OpenSource Survey demographics data (we used data from the 2017 year)

• donating to Majstrownia makerspace for the project spendings, or sending Kudos for the project instigator.

• rephrasing website content into proper English

• providing feedback

You can contact us by reaching out in the matrix room or by writing directly to @mariha.

Getting paid €€€

You may want to work on the project just because it is important and for a reward it gives to do something good for the humanity / to stop the violence. However, it may also be possible to get paid for working on the project.

Please check the Next Generation Internet Zero grant programmes at nlNet, with open calls every two months:

NGI0 Commons Found
Reclaim the public nature of the internet

Small and medium-sized R&D grants between 5.000 and 50.000 euro, with the possibility to scale up.

.

Effective Conflict-resolution mechanisms is one of the design principles***** of long-enduring common-pool resources that Elinor Ostrom formulated, based on her lifelong studies on commons governance. She was awarded Nobel Prize in economy for her work on that. If we want FOSS projects environment to be sustainable, this gives research-based justification for the project.

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* https://opensourcesurvey.org/2017/ (data on demographics, conflicts, foss consumption)

** https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2017#demographics

*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_in_open-source_software#Diversity

**** Human Rights as a Global Issue, United Nations

***** Ostrom, Elinor (1990). Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press. pp. 88–102. ISBN 978-0-521-40599-7.