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Wiki Loves Folklore & Feminism and Folklore Activities in India 2025
proposed start date2025-01-25
proposed end date2025-06-30
budget (INR)424300 INR
budget (USD)4998.25 USD
institutional partner fee (INR)74571.75
applicant• Gnoeee
organization (if applicable)• Sahya Digital Conservation Foundation

Applicant

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Main Wikimedia username. (required)

Gnoeee

Organization

Sahya Digital Conservation Foundation

If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)

I'm a group leader of a Wikimedia User Group (submitted to the Affiliation Committee)., I'm a bank account signatory for the joint bank account of a Wikimedia affiliate, group, or organization.

Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)

Contact person of Wikimedians of Kerala UG

Project

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1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.

Wiki Loves Folklore & Feminism and Folklore Activities in India 2025

2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.

2025-01-25 - 2025-06-30

4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)

India

5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)

Wiki Loves Folklore

6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)

The change we aim to bring through this grant proposal is to strengthen and diversify the engagement of Indian communities in Wikimedia projects through collaborations. By focusing on initiatives like Wiki Loves Folklore (WLF) and Feminism and Folklore (F&F), the project aims to contribute culturally rich content to Wikimedia platforms while bridging gaps in gender equity, regional folk as well as cultural representation.

Challenges We Aim to Solve:

  • Underrepresentation of Local Cultures and Folklore:

Indian folklore, a rich repository of traditions, stories, and art forms, remains largely undocumented and underrepresented on Wikimedia platforms.

  • Gender Gap in Content and Participation:

Feminism and Folklore seeks to address the lack of representation of women’s stories, achievements, and voices on Wikipedia, both in terms of content and contributor diversity.

  • Limited Offline Engagement Post-COVID:

Many communities have struggled to resume dynamic offline Wikimedia activities due to resource and coordination challenges.

Our Approach to Drive Change:

To achieve these objectives, we plan the following activities:

  • Community Photo Walks for Wiki Loves Folklore Photography Competition:

These photo walks will involve photographers and volunteers from diverse regions capturing local folklore, dances, festivals, traditional art forms, and cultural practices. Collaborating with groups like the Commons Photographers User Group (CPUG) + Wiki Club SATI and other User groups these activities will focus on promoting visual content uploads to Wikimedia Commons. The initiative will emphasize capturing high quality, culturally rich visual content in Wikimedia Commons ensuring the reuse of those images in Wikimedia projects.

  • In-Person Workshops for Feminism and Folklore Writing Competition:

These workshops will train and engage participants in creating high-quality articles about women and folklore on Wikipedia. Topics will include notable women in folklore, gender roles in cultural traditions, and feminist interpretations of folklore. The workshops will encourage diverse language communities to come together to contribute and help to address the content gaps in Wikipedia in various Indic languages.

  • Collaboration with Indian Wikimedia Communities:

We will work closely with the following communities to ensure regional representation and localization like Commons Photographers User Group (CPUG) + Wiki Club SATI and Language-specific communities (Hindi, Awadhi, Malayalam, Assamese, Tamil, Tulu, Bengali, and Kashmiri). The Wikimedians of Kerala User group, will serve as the primary facilitating body for coordinating and supporting these activities to ensure smooth execution of the project.

  • Localized Focus and Capacity Building:

Tailored events and resources in regional languages will empower contributors and ensure that folklore and feminist themes are contextualized for Indian audiences. This will build long-term contributor capacity in these communities.

Expected Outcomes:

  • Increased content about Indian folklore and feminism perspectives on Wikimedia platforms.
  • Enhanced participation of regional Wikimedia communities in culturally relevant activities.
  • Improved awareness and representation of Indian cultural heritage and gender issues globally.

By organizing these activities, we aim to create a sustainable model for community-driven cultural and gender representation on Wikimedia, fostering inclusion and diversity in content creation.

7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.

Wiki Loves Folklore (WLF) and Feminism and Folklore (F&F) has consistently proven to be a vibrant and engaging competition, capturing the enthusiasm of participants across communities. Originating in India, this initiative has grown into a flagship international campaign within the Wikimedia movement. For the 2025 edition, we plan the following activities for the Indian local edition, which will foster community engagement and enhance content diversity on Wikimedia platforms:

Local-Level Activities and Competitions
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Prizes for Indian Local Winners:
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To motivate participation, the Indian local edition will offer prizes for top contributors. This encourages regional involvement and recognizes outstanding contributions.

Photo Walks and Commons Workshops:
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  • Commons Photographers User Group (CPUG) + Wiki Club SATI:

Facilitate in organizing a photo walk with the help of local group as well as a Commons workshop to train contributors in documenting Indian folklore through photography and uploading to Wikimedia Commons.

  • Assamese Community:

Conducting a photo walk and awarding local prizes for contributions to the Feminism and Folklore campaign.

  • Tamil Community:

Hosting two Wikipedia workshops and one photo walk, encouraging active documentation of Tamil folklore and traditions.

In-Person Feminism and Folklore Workshops:
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  • Hindi and Awadhi Community:

Conducting a Wikipedia workshop focused on Feminism and Folklore in these regional languages, fostering article creation and engagement.

  • Malayalam Community:

Organizing in-person workshops similar to the Hindi and Awadhi communities, targeting both photo and article contributions.

  • Tulu Community (Karavali Wikimedians):

Facilitating an in-person workshop to encourage participation in Feminism and Folklore.

  • Bengali Community:

Hosting an in-person workshop to enhance contributions to folklore-related topics.

Online Promotions and Support:
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  • Kashmiri Community (Kashmiri Wikimedians User Group): Engaging in online promotions for the campaigns and supporting local prizes for Feminism and Folklore contributions.
Cross-Community Collaboration:
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All activities are part of a collective effort by multiple Wikimedia communities, including CPUG, and regional communities (Hindi, Awadhi, Malayalam, Assamese, Tamil, Tulu, Bengali, and Kashmiri). This collaboration will bring together diverse contributors, creating a rich and inclusive experience. 

Overall Prizes for Wiki Loves Folklore in India:
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To further incentivize participation, we will offer five overarching prizes for outstanding contributors to Wiki Loves Folklore across India.

Community Name and planned Activities

  • Commons Photographers User Group (CPUG) + Wiki Club SATI
    • Facilitate in organizing one photo walk.
    • Help in conducting a Commons workshop to train contributors on uploading images.
  • Hindi and Awadhi Language Community
    • Conduct an in-person workshop focused on article creation for Feminism and Folklore.
  • Malayalam Language Community (Wikimedians of Kerala UG)
    • Host in-person workshops for both photo contributions and Wikipedia article creation for Feminism and Folklore.
  • Assamese Language Community
    • Organize a photo walk.
    • Provide local prizes for Feminism and Folklore contributions.
  • Tamil Language Community
    • Host two Wikipedia workshops.
    • Organize one photo walk to document Tamil folklore.
  • Tulu Language Community (Karavali Wikimedians)
    • Conduct an in-person workshop for Feminism and Folklore.
  • Bengali Language Community
    • Host an in-person workshop to encourage contributions to Feminism and Folklore.
  • Kashmiri Language Community (Kashmiri Wikimedians User Group)
    • Engage in online promotions for the campaigns.
  • Indian WLF2025 Edition (Overall)
    • Award five overall prizes for the top contributors to Wiki Loves Folklore in India.

By executing these activities, we aim to celebrate and document India’s rich cultural heritage, empower regional language communities, and bridge gaps in content representation on Wikimedia platforms.


8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

  • Project Coordinator: Jinoy Tom Jacob - User:Gnoeee - Responsible for coordinating with the community, grant making and reporting.
  • Asian Coordinator of Wiki Loves Folklore Team: Hrithik Salian - Responsible for managing the execution of events across participating communities.
  • Affiliate: Wikimedians of Kerala User Group - Our team is composed of dedicated members from the User Group, which will act as the facilitating body for these activities.

Community Coordinators (We have eight seasoned Wikimedians who will serve as community coordinators. They will act as leaders in their respective communities, taking the lead in executing activities at the local level. All coordinators have prior experience organizing similar events within their communities.)

Community: Commons Photographers User Group + Wiki Club SATI, Hindi and Awadhi Communities

Community: Malayalam Community (Wikimedians of Kerala UG)

Community: Assamese Community

Community: Tamil Community

Community: Tulu Community (Karavali Wikimedians User Group)

Community: Bengali Community

Community: Kashmiri Wikimedians User Group

Affiliate support: Wikimedians of Kerala User Group

  • Advising
  • Logistics support (if needed)

Organization support: Sahya Digital Conservation Foundation & Open Heritage Foundation

  • Background support
  • Collabration support

Additional Details:

Since this is our first time organizing such a large-scale, multi-community coordinated event at a national level, we are approaching it as a pilot project. We have partnered with a selected group of experienced communities to ensure effective implementation and learning. The activities carried out by volunteers of the language community leaders may contribute to the overall objectives of the initiative. However, it is important to note that the activities facilitated through this grant are exclusively managed by the Wikimedians of Kerala User Group. Our objective is to refine our processes through this initial phase and gradually expand to include more communities in the future.

9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)

Target Participants and Communities

Target Participants:Wikimedia contributors (new and experienced) from across India.

  • Photographers passionate about capturing cultural heritage.
  • Writers and editors interested in documenting folklore and feminist topics.
  • Community members from underrepresented Indian linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
  • Students, academicians, and enthusiasts interested in folklore and gender issues.

Communities Involved:

  • Commons Photographers User Group (CPUG) + Wiki Club SATI
  • Regional Wikimedia communities:
  • Hindi and Awadhi
  • Malayalam (Wikimedians of Kerala)
  • Assamese
  • Tamil
  • Tulu (Karavali Wikimedians)
  • Bengali
  • Kashmiri

Engaging Participants Before and During Activities

Before the Activities:

  • Promotional Campaigns:
  • Announce activities through social media, mailing lists, and community channels.
  • Use massmessage on Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons to reach the Indian Wikimedia audience.
  • Collaborate with local language community leaders to spread awareness in their states.
  • Pre-Activity Workshops:
  • Be part of online office hours and introductory sessions to familiarize participants with Wikimedia platforms and the contest rules.
  • Provide training on photography and article creation for beginners.

During the Activities:

  • Hands-On Workshops and Photowalks:
  • Organize photowalks and workshops to provide practical experience.
  • Ensure facilitators and mentors are available to guide participants.
  • Real-Time Support:
  • Create dedicated communication channels (e.g., Telegram, WhatsApp) to assist participants.
  • Use community members as on-ground coordinators for smooth execution.
  • Incentives:
  • Highlight the prizes and recognition to motivate sustained participation.

Follow-Up After Activities

Acknowledging Contributions::

  • Recognize participants through certificates, online social media appreciation posts, and public acknowledgments on community platforms.

Providing Feedback:

  • Share detailed reports on their contributions, including metrics like the number of photos uploaded, articles created, and impact achieved.
  • Be part of a community session to discuss their experiences and gather suggestions for future campaigns.

Encouraging Long-Term Engagement:

  • Invite participants to join regional Wikimedia communities and stay active in future events.
  • Provide mentorship opportunities to help them grow as contributors.
  • Keep them informed about upcoming Wikimedia events and contests.

Documenting Success Stories:

  • Showcase exceptional contributions through project reports, blogs, case studies, or media coverage to inspire others.

This comprehensive approach will not only drive high participation but also build long-term capacity and community engagement in Wikimedia projects.

9.1. If your project includes in-person activities, are there any international participants travelling to India for them? (required)
No
9.1.1. List all countries of participation. (required)


9.2. Will the project be transferring funds to any international participants? (required)
No
9.2.1. List all international participants receiving funding and their countries. (required)

N/A

10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.

N/A

11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.

We have initiated discussion with community members and relevant groups to discuss the project plans and objectives. Following this initial discussion, we worked on drafting the grant proposal, ensuring it reflected the inputs received during the meeting. The draft proposal was carefully structured to align with the priorities of the communities involved, while also emphasizing its potential for collaboration and long-term impact. To further engage the community and ensure transparency, we plan to notify the community members about this proposal through village pumps and talk page messages of the respective Wikimedia communities. These notifications will provide a platform for wider community involvement, enabling members to review the proposal, share additional feedback, and express their support or concerns.

Additionally, we aim to leverage communication channels such as mailing lists, social media groups, and dedicated project pages to inform and involve a broader audience. By aligning the project activities with existing or upcoming initiatives in the planned area of implementation, we will foster collaboration with the communities in India.

12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)

Content Gender gap

13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)

Culture, heritage or GLAM

14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)

Linguistic / Language

15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)

Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement

Metrics

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17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)

Through this pilot initiative, we aim to achieve several key learnings that will guide our future efforts and contribute to the broader Wikimedia movement. Specifically, we hope to learn the following:

  • Community Engagement Strategies in India:

India is home to diverse cultures as well as language communities with unique cultural practices. By collaborating with community members, we aim to understand the most effective methods for engaging diverse groups and fostering active participation in Wikimedia projects. By connecting with individuals, groups, and organizations through this initiative, we hope to strengthen our network and create opportunities for future collaborations.

  • Preservation Techniques for India’s Intangible Cultural Heritage:

India has an extensive repository of living cultural heritage, including oral traditions, folk music, regional festivals, and traditional art forms. We hope to learn best practices for documenting and preserving this heritage on Wikimedia platforms in a manner that respects local traditions and ensures ethical documentation of living heritage with accuracy and inclusivity.

  • Sustainability of Engagement in Indian Communities:

Sustained engagement is crucial for long-term impact. We want to explore strategies that will ensure participants continue contributing to Wikimedia projects, such as capacity-building workshops and mentorship programs. We plan to get the feedback from the community and participants after the event.

  • Engagement of Participants:

After the event, we plan to gather insights from communities and participants through surveys to evaluate their experience and identify areas for improvement. These surveys will focus on understanding participants' satisfaction with the event, the challenges they faced, and their overall takeaways. Specific feedback will be sought on aspects like event organization, accessibility of resources, and the support provided during the events.

18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
Number of participants, editors, and organizers
Other Metrics Target Optional description
Number of participants 100
Number of editors 50
Number of organizers 7
Number of content contributions to Wikimedia projects
Wikimedia project Number of content created or improved
Wikipedia 100
Wikimedia Commons 2000
Wikidata
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia
Optional description for content contributions.

N/A

19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)

Yes

Main Open Metrics Data
Main Open Metrics Description Target
Articles Articles in Wikipedia 100
Images Images uploaded to Wikimedia Commom 2000
N/A N/A N/A
N/A N/A N/A
N/A N/A N/A
20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)

Petscan, Quarry, Campwiz, Wiki loves tool, GLAMorous

Budget

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21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)

Budget Sheet


22. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in Indian Rupees. (required)

424300 INR

22.1. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD. (required)

4998.25 USD

By submitting this proposal request you agree with the Institutional Partner Privacy Policy, Application Privacy Statements, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

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