The Wiki Loves Women Focus coaching program is a practical, action-oriented, mentored online training program facilitated by mentors. It aims to provide skills and knowledge specifically designed to support community leaders in creating programs and initiatives for gender equity within the Wikimedia and Open movements. The Focus coaching program will provide insights, guidance, skill transfers, and mentoring to help each member of the working group plan a gender equity program within their community and gather the resources and skills needed to implement this program.
The Wiki Loves Women Focus Group was initially formed in 2021 and comprised 12 women representing 8 African countries (Botswana, Nigeria, Sudan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Cameroon, and Rwanda), as well as France. In 2022, the group welcomed two new members from South Africa and Tunisia, expanding its composition. As part of the 2023 program, the WLW working group continued to grow with the addition of 4 new members, making it more diverse and inclusive. The primary goal of the working group members is to raise awareness by organizing the participation of local communities in the #SheSaid initiative. #SheSaid began as an online campaign in 2020 to enhance the visibility of women leaders by creating new entries or improving existing entries on Wikiquote. This ensures that the voices of women are heard.
In 2024, 12 new members joined the group to attend 30 women from 12 African countries (Botswana, Nigeria, Sudan, South Africa, Zimbabwae, Kenya, Cameroun, Rwanda, Tunisia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Egypt) and France.
In 2025, 5 new members joined the group to attend 35 women from 14 African countries (Botswana, Nigeria, Sudan, South Africa, Zimbabwae, Kenya, Cameroun, Rwanda, Tunisia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Madagascar, Senegal) and France.
Meet the Focus Group Members
Focus Group
Pearl Maatla Melamu
Focus Group: Botswana
A Wikimedian and a library intern at Arthur Portland College in Botswana.
R Jeanette Nyinawumuntu
Focus Group: Rwanda
Co-founder of the Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda and responsible for community engagement and establishing partnerships.
Florence Devouard
Co-Project Manager
A Wikipedian since 2002, a former Chair of Wikimedia Foundation, Florence Devouard was born in France where she currently lives. Initially trained as an Agricultural Engineer, she transitioned to non-profit leadership, intercultural project management, community building, and skills transfer roles
Minette Lontsie
Focus Group: Cameroon
Minette Lontsie is a trained journalist, entrepreneur, and Wikimedian from Cameroon. She is passionate about creating content for Africans and filling the content gap about Africa on the internet, with a strong interest in arts and culture, gender equality, photography, and IT.
Lucy Iwuala
Focus Group: Nigeria
A language professional and holds a degree in English and Literary.
Maram Ali Ahmed
Focus Group: Sudan
A Sudanese wikimedian, and a researcher in Material Science and Physics lecturer. One of the co-founders and program officer of the Sudanese user group that is concerned about increasing and improving the Sudanese content.
Sichelesile Similo Ndlovu
Focus Group: Zimbabwe
Sichelesile lives in Matopo, Zimbabwe, and is a proudly new African Wikipedian. She has been a librarian at a boarding school for the past 11 years and holds a degree in Library and Information Science. She joined the Wiki Loves Women Focus Group to initiate projects to further the WikiAfrica movement across Africa.
Rukaya Hamidu
Focus Group: Ghana
Logistics manager for the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group and co-facilitator for Dagbani Wikipedia Saha.
Eliane Dominique Yao Sigan
Focus Group: Ivory Coast
President of the Board of Directors of Wikifranca, the network of French-speaking Users Groups and Chapters of the Wikimedia movement.
Clementine Nyirahabihirwe
Focus Group: Rwanda
Clementine Nyirahabihirwe is a Rwandan woman of 36 years old, who holds a Bachelor’s degree from the National University of Rwanda, in the faculty of Economics and Management, Economic department. She is a member of the Wikimedia User Group Rwanda, and I am one of the 4 founders of User group Rwanda, she acts as general secretary in the executive team.
Olla Mahadi
Focus Group: Sudan
Olla Mahadi has been a volunteer with Wikimedia since 2018 on Wiki Gap 1.0. Ever since then, she has been involved in different work related to Sudan – editing mostly and training new users, highlighting the gap in content related to women and the need to write about Sudan by Sudanese. She is the co-founder of Wikimedia Sudan User Group in 2020.
Candy Tricia Khohliwe
Admin Intern
Candy Tricia Khohliwe is long-term editor and belongs to the Wikimedia Botswana Usergroup. She has led two successful Wiki Loves Africa photo contest and a successful Art and Feminism Editathon and panel discussion. She has assisted and conducted key activities and for the focus group members, a group made up odd 12 women across different countries of Africa.
Oteng Tiro Sandra Kolobetso
Focus Group: Botswana
Oteng Tiro Sandra Kolobetso is a volunteer in Wikipedia from Botswana. She is a graduate in BSC (HONS) in Business Information technology and has worked with the University of Botswana for 2 years as an Information Technology Officer intern. She contributes towards competitions and events that aim to increase content and contributions about a country in Wikipedia.
Adjovi Essenam FUMEY
Focus Group: Senegal
A Librarian at a library in Dakar
Isla Haddow-Flood
Co-Project Manager
A Zimbabwean by birth, and a Capetonian by adoption, Oxford-educated Isla Haddow-Flood is a writer, editor and project strategist who is passionate about harnessing communication technology and media platforms for the advancement of open access to knowledge
Phephile Tshabangu
Focus Group: Zimbabwae
A librarian and Wikimedian from Zimbabwe.
