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
Goodness Ignatius
Focus Group: Nigeria
A dedicated member of the Igbo Wikimedians User Group. As a librarian, she has a passion for sharing knowledge and promoting learning, which has led her becoming an active contributor to various Wikimedia projects, including Meta-Wiki, Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikicommons, and Wikiquote.
Lucy Iwuala
Focus Group: Nigeria
A language professional and holds a degree in English and Literary.
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.
Faith Mwanyolo
Focus Group: Kenya
Faith Mwanyolo is a computer science student at Riara University located in Nairobi, Kenya. She began to take an interest in Wiki projects in 2018 and since has organized a WikiGap event at her university, attended the Wikimania Conference in Cape Town, among other things.
Carol Mwaura (Cmwaura)
Focus Group: Kenya
Carol Mwaura (Cmwaura) is a Kenyan Librarian who is currently based in Nairobi Kenya. She am a new member of Wiki Loves Women Focus Group Members initiative in the larger movement of Wiki In Africa. She recently joined Wiki Loves Women Focus Group that focuses on contributing towards the UN’s SDG 5 Gender Equity: achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
Afek Ben Chahed
Focus Group: Tunisia
unisian, Librarian, an active member of Wikimedia Tunisia User Group since 2016 and the co-founder of Africvs, a youth collective which works on promoting and documenting the Tunisian heritage.
R Jeanette Nyinawumuntu
Focus Group: Rwanda
Co-founder of the Wikimedia Community User Group Rwanda and responsible for community engagement and establishing partnerships.
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
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
Zayneb Takouti
Focus Group: Tunisia
I bring a wealth of expertise in partnership management, event coordination, and strategic planning.
Walaa Abdel Manaem
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
Phephile Tshabangu
Focus Group: Zimbabwae
A librarian and Wikimedian from Zimbabwe.
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.
Morleen Caroline Bortman
Focus Group: Zimbabwe
Morleen Caroline Bortman's motto is to "Always leave the world in a better way than you found it". Morleen is a 58 years old Reference Librarian at a university library in Harare, Zimbabwe. She has an Honours Degree in Library and Information and Information Science.
