Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Africa Wiki Women General Support Grant 2025/2026

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Applicant information

Organization name or Wikimedia Username for individuals. (required): Africa Wiki Women

Do you have any approved General Support Fund requests? (required): No, it is my first time applying for a General Support Fund

You are applying as a(n). (required): Group of individuals not registered with an organization

Are your group or organization legally registered in your country? (required): No

Do you have a fiscal sponsor?: Yes

Fiscal organization name.: Open Foundation West Africa

Please provide links to the following documents if they are available

These documentation can be provided in your local language(s), no translations required.

Organizational website
Detailed financial reporting and/or audits
Documentation of the governance structure, board list, governance processes
Documentation of the general assembly decision on your plan

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Wiki_Women/en

Welcome to the Africa Wiki Women Community @⁨~jombogladys2012@gmail.com⁩.*

To have an idea of what we do please visit our Metapage; https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Africa_Wiki_Women

Are you passionate about bridging the gender gap and promoting inclusion in the Wikimedia Space?

Do well to complete our Community onboarding process! and invite your friends.

Social media; Tick Tock- https://www.tiktok.com/@africa.wiki.women2?_t=8nWWt0GT44b&_r=1

Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551565400200

Twitter/X - https://x.com/home @africawikiwomen

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-wiki-women/?viewAsMember=true

Main proposal

1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be a title for the Meta-Wiki page. (required): Africa Wiki Women General Support Grant 2025/2026

2. Do you want to apply for the multi-year base funding for 3 years? (required) (only for returning applicants): N/A

2.1. Provide a brief overview of Year 2 and Year 3 of the proposed plan and how this relates to the current proposal and your strategic plan? (required)

N/A

3. Proposed start date. (required): 2025-07-01

4. Proposed end date. (required): 2026-06-30

5. Does your organization or group have an Affiliate or Organizational Annual Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required): Yes; https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k8Ys2Dt_yAunQNHoUJxupD28mnnLAdDyJwvgPn6Sj2U/edit?usp=sharing

6. Does your affiliate, organization or group have a Strategic Plan that can help us understand your proposal? If yes, please provide it. (required): No

7. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required): Regional (more than one country in the same continent or region); Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinée Conakry, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe

8. What are your programs, approaches, and strategies? What are the challenges that you are trying to address and how will your strategies support you in addressing these challenges? (required)

Africa Wiki Women is an initiative dedicated to bridging the gender gap in leadership and editorship while advancing greater representation and active participation of African women in the Wikimedia movement. Informed by conversations with the Regional Grants Committee, the Campaign and Gender Team at the Wikimedia Foundation, community office hours, and individual leaders in the African Wikimedia community, our initiative is not only charting its future trajectory but also grounding its approach in strategic responses to key challenges. Our work directly aligns with Wikimedia Movement strategy recommendations—specifically, increasing the sustainability of our movement, providing for safety and inclusion, investing in skills and leadership development, and identifying topics of impact. These efforts broaden participation and enhance leadership diversity while supporting SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 10 on reducing inequalities.

Insights from these discussions further reinforced the need to prioritize research as a critical step in defining our strategic direction and identifying key priority areas for our organization. We conducted the research to understand the factors contributing to the low representation of African women on Wikimedia projects and in leadership roles, while also identifying opportunities and gathering recommendations. The research adopted a mixed-method approach, including a structured survey with 169 participants from 20 countries; two regional conversations for Anglophone and Francophone communities; and eight focus group discussions with 23 women leaders within the Wikimovement from Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinée Conakry, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, we mapped gender-related campaigns and initiatives within the Wikimedia movement in Africa.

The research findings identified major challenges that women face in our community. These include inadequate on-wiki skills, limited awareness of Wikimedia activities, opportunities, and resources, as well as insufficient support and mentorship. Such factors hinder women from contributing beyond participating as editors during specific campaigns. Key recommendations were also highlighted to address these needs. A detailed list of these challenges and solutions is included in the report [1].

However, for this current grant, our program will focus on addressing (3) three primary challenges identified in the research. These challenges include:

Inadequate editing skills, mentorship and leadership opportunities for women: The research identified that the limited availability of unique mentorship programs for women within the movement makes it difficult for them to participate in Wikimedia activities beyond joining campaigns. The research shows that many women struggle with confidence, guidance, and access to support networks, limiting their ability to contribute effectively to Wikimedia projects and also take on leadership roles. Additionally, limited leadership opportunities prevent women from being part of decision-making, further widening the gender gap in Wikimedia spaces.

To bridge this gap, Africa Wiki Women will implement structured mentorship programs that adopt a hands-on approach, enabling women within the movement to acquire leadership, campaign organizing, technical, and management skills. These programs will also provide targeted support systems designed to empower women within the Wikimedia movement. Through these initiatives, women will receive guidance, build confidence, enhance their skills for quality contributions to Wikimedia projects, and gain opportunities to actively contribute and take on leadership roles.

We will facilitate cross-learning workshops and spaces for women, tailored to specific needs identified through a needs assessment survey. These workshops will include regular webinars held in collaboration with existing Wikimedia affiliates to strengthen women's capacity within the movement. The goal is to enhance women's participation in Wikimedia projects as trainers and organizers, strengthen their presence in decision-making spaces and leadership roles, and promote greater gender equity across Wikimedia projects.

Inadequate Awareness as a Challenge A significant barrier to women's participation in the Wikimedia movement which trended in the research was inadequate awareness of Wikimedia projects and opportunities. Many potential contributors, including women in rural areas, are said to be unaware of how they can engage with Wikimedia and find opportunities. Additionally, misconceptions about Wikimedia projects, limit their ability to contribute and benefit from the movement. Survey data indicates that digital barriers including limited access to the internet, laptops, and financial resources exacerbate this issue, making it even more difficult for women to learn about and participate in Wikimedia activities.

This trend was also highlighted in most of the focused group discussions, where many women from the focused group also highlighted inadequate awareness as a significant barrier confirming that women are not actively engaging due to inadequate awareness and digital barriers, highlighting the need for targeted outreach efforts. This gap in knowledge and access prevents many women from understanding the value of Wikimedia projects, contributing to low participation rates.

Addressing this challenge requires intentional awareness-building initiatives and the development of campaigns that engage women, as demonstrated in our Wikidata contest 2024, where adding occupational statements about women in Africa to items received a lot of attention from Women. To further bridge the knowledge gap, we will implement training training programs and partner with local gender-based organizations to carry out outreach campaigns that are tailored to their specific interests. Without these efforts, many women, especially those in underserved communities, will remain excluded from the Wikimedia movement.

To tackle the issue of limited awareness from the insights and recommendations highlighted in the research, Africa Wiki Women aims to enhance community engagement through targeted awareness initiatives. This includes forming women’s working groups in different communities to boost participation and utilizing social media campaigns. Additionally, structured onboarding programs will be developed to attract and support new African women contributors, especially from underserved communities where there are limited wikimedia activities. Expanding mass media outreach and hosting in-person events will further strengthen our awareness efforts, ultimately increasing visibility and participation in the Wikimedia projects.

Inadequate resources and support for Women’s participation The research highlights that many women face significant barriers to participating in Wikimedia activities due to inadequate access to essential resources. This includes the limited availability of reliable secondary sources for creating and improving women’s biographies, limited funding opportunities, and a lack of institutional partnerships that could provide financial and technical support. Furthermore, logistical challenges such as childcare responsibilities, transportation costs, and inadequate support systems further prevent women from fully engaging in Wikimedia events and contributing effectively.

To tackle this challenge, Africa Wiki Women will establish partnerships with relevant media organizations and newsdesks—especially those led by female journalists—to #AmplifyHerStory. These collaborations will encourage the publication of biographies of African women in reliable secondary sources, increasing access to citations that can improve Wikimedia content. We will also build capacity by creating various training resources.

Additionally, we will provide support resources, such as childcare stipends and data assistance, to help women attend capacity-building events. This approach ensures that caregiving responsibilities do not become a barrier to participation.

Proposed Program To address the challenges highlighted in the research while ensuring that Africa Wiki Women’s programs complement rather than duplicate the efforts of local Wikimedia affiliates, we will initiate the following programmes: The AWW Leadership & Mentorship Program is designed to address the inadequate mentorship and leadership opportunities for African women in the Wikimedia movement as identified in the AWW technical research by offering a suite of initiatives that provide fellowship opportunities and peer learning spaces to enhance their leadership skills, expand networking opportunities, and enhance collaboration. Through our quarterly fellowship program, 10 women per quarter will work alongside the AWW Core Team for a 6-month term, leading projects and campaigns while developing their Wikimedia editing and campaign management skills under expert guidance. Complementing this, the quarterly cross-learning mentorship program pairs five (5) emerging women editors and organizers (whether or not they are currently involved in a Wiki project or campaign) with experienced women leaders in three-month rotations held three (3) times a year. This program provides on-project support, one-on-one mentorship, skills training, and tailored assistance in a safe learning environment. Additionally, the AfricaWikiWomen PeerSpace—hosted on WhatsApp and Telegram—creates a dynamic forum for sharing best practices, building capacity, and facilitating a supportive onboarding process for newcomers.

Africa Wiki Women Podcast: A storytelling and awareness initiative that amplifies the voices of African women in the Wikimedia movement. The podcast will feature 24 episodes of interviews, mentorship stories, and discussions on Wikimedia opportunities, leadership, and gender equity. It will serve as a tool for awareness creation, mentorship, and resource-sharing, ensuring more women are informed, inspired, and equipped to contribute to Wikimedia projects. The program will feature interviews, thematic discussions, expert sessions, and community spotlights to highlight and celebrate African women's contributions to Wikimedia. Content will be distributed on platforms like Spotify, Apple podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Castbox, YouTube, and Wikimedia channels, with interactive live Q&A sessions to engage the audience.

Wiki Women Skill Up: This program empowers African women by providing both on-wiki and off-wiki skills training to enhance their contributions to Wikimedia and promote a more inclusive community. It also focuses on onboarding new women editors into the wikimedia movement through partnerships/collaborations with media houses, and gender-based organisations to increase access to reliable sources about women in order to address the limited availability of reliable secondary sources about African women online to create and improve articles about them on Wikimedia projects. Additionally, it serves as a learning hub for women without user group affiliations, offering them a space to develop skills, connect, and collaborate with others in the movement. To further strengthen this initiative, we will establish an AWW Working Group to provide in-person skills training specifically for women. We will host a total of 12 in-person meet-ups for at least 15 women across 4 countries in a year. This will create opportunities for hands-on learning, foster deeper connections, and build a stronger support system for women within the Wikimedia community. We will also create specific resources that are tailored to meet the needs of women from various backgrounds.

9. What categories are your main programs and related activities under? Please select all that apply. (required)


Category	Yes/No
Education	No
Culture, heritage or GLAM	No
Gender and diversity	Yes
Community support and engagement	Yes
Participation in campaigns and contests	Yes
Public policy advocacy	No
Other	No

Gender and diversity

9.3. Select all your programs and activities for Gender and diversity.: Bringing in women and/or gender diverse participants and editors, Focusing on creating content about women and/or gender diverse groups, including biographies, intersectional topic areas and/or adding images, Focusing on creating content about marginalized (underrepresented) communities and their knowledge, Focusing on knowledge equity by bringing in contributors from underrepresented communities, Building organizer skills in women and diversity groups, Fomenting female leadership within the movement (either staff, members or boards), Sensitize and educate for gender perspective among Wikimedia projects stewards and editors; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Community support and engagement

9.4. Select all your programs and activities for Community support and engagement.: On-wiki training of community members, Off-wiki training of community members, Organizing meetups, conferences, and community events, Supporting community members' participation in events and conferences, Offering micro-funding and other financial support to community members; Other programs and activities if any: N/A

Participation in campaigns and contests

9.5. Select all campaigns that apply. (required): Other; Other programs and activities if any: general Content creation campaign tailored for our partners and mentees
10. Please include a link to or upload a timeline (operational calendar) for your programs and activities. (required): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15AHJ7dbg1dc2_CtYKeYDEyvh80uH9WTRWWy5LDmL06M/edit?gid=0#gid=0

11. Describe your team. (required)

Program and Partnership Coordinator (User:Ruby_D-Brown): Will lead the development and execution of community-building initiatives that align with Africa Wiki Women’s strategic goals. This role is responsible for designing and managing outreach campaigns, spearheading the Community Development Microgrants Program, and establishing key partnerships with media organizations, Wikimedia affiliates, and local gender-based organizations. By fostering collaboration and innovative initiatives, this position will play a critical role in enhancing leadership development, promoting sustainable growth, and strengthening community engagement within the Wikimedia movement.

Communication and logistics officer (User:Bukky658): will oversee the operational management of our programs, ensuring seamless implementation of project activities in line with Africa Wiki Women’s vision and strategic plan. This role involves coordinating with contractors and volunteers, managing logistical elements of capacity-building events (including support programs such as childcare stipends and data assistance), and executing the Data Support Program. Additionally, this position will contribute to comprehensive project monitoring, reporting, and evaluation, ensuring that initiatives are delivered effectively and that progress is accurately tracked.

Community engagement (User: Pellagia Njau): will craft and implement a comprehensive communication strategy to enhance continuous community engagement. This includes managing social media channels, producing and hosting the Africa Wiki Women Podcast to amplify community voices, and driving targeted awareness campaigns. Through dynamic outreach efforts and a consistent communication plan, this role aims to foster a vibrant, inclusive community of African women contributors, ensuring that our messaging resonates and empowers our target audiences. Vacancy Finance officer 10 Volunteer Fellows who will be recruited on our fellowship program at the time

Fellows - 8 (Vacant position)- Recruited under our Africa Wiki Women Mentorship and Leadership Fellowship Program

Program Associate and Country Coordinators and AWW working group leaders - 4 Administrative Assistant -1 Content creation and Social media Manager- 1 AWW Radio Coordinator and Host - 1

Advisory committee Jael Boateng: Executive Director Open Foundation West Africa and Wiki Indaba steering committee member Emmanuelle G. KAKOU - Program Manager · Wikimedia côte d'ivoire Alexandra TCHUILEU- President Wikimedia Cameroon Alice Kibombo Wikimedia user group Uganda

12. Will you be working with any internal (Wikimedia) or external partners? Describe the characteristics of these partnerships and bring a few examples of the most significant partnerships. (required)

Institutional partners Facilitate partnerships with women/feminist organizations, journalists’ groups/associations, and media organizations to onboard new women editors and secure resources that support gender-related initiatives for women in our Wikimedia movement. Additionally, we will collaborate with existing Wikimedia affiliates to onboard new women Wikimedians into local user groups to further strengthen their growth. We will also collaborate with experienced women in the user groups to facilitate cross-learning experiences. We intend to partner with groups such as the University of Ghana SRC Women’s Commission, African Women in Media (AWiM), Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Nigeria, Girls’ Voice Initiative, Open Inclusive Initiative, Women for Sustainability Africa, and Maestro Africa Solutions to connect with and integrate women into local user groups to strengthen retention and sustainability. We will also work with Shangazi Power in Kenya.

13. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select all that apply. (required): Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Ensure Equity in Decision-making, Coordinate Across Stakeholders, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development

Metrics

Wikimedia Metrics

14. Please select and fill out Wikimedia Metrics for your proposal. (recommended)

14.1. Number of participants, editors, and organizers.

All metrics provided are optional, please fill them out if they are aligned with your programs and activities.

Participants, editors, and organizers
Metrics name	Target	Description
Number of all participants	380	Mentorship program (fellows & mentees) 40 (4 cohorts x 10 people) Skill Up Trainings & Edit-a-thons (in 4 countries) 180 (15 participants x 12 meetups) Networking meet-ups 60 (5 meetups x 12 participants) AWW Podcast-Listeners 100 listeners Total 380
Number of all editors	N/A	N/A
Number of new editors	N/A
Number of retained editors	N/A
Number of all organizers	N/A	N/A
Number of new organizers	N/A	N/A

14.2. Number of new content contributions to Wikimedia projects. (recommended)

Contributions to Wikimedia projects
Wikimedia project	Created	Edited or improved
Wikipedia	400	1400
Wikimedia Commons	300	200
Wikidata	1800	1000
Wiktionary
Wikisource
Wikimedia Incubator
Translatewiki
MediaWiki
Wikiquote
Wikivoyage
Wikibooks
Wikiversity
Wikinews
Wikispecies
Wikifunctions / Abstract Wikipedia

Description for Wikimedia projects contributions metrics. (optional)

Other Metrics

15. Do you have other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required): Yes


Other Metrics	Description	Target
Number of AWW Podcast Episodes Created	24 episodes created over the one year period	24
AWW Skill Up Meet-ups Held	Number of In-Person AWW Skill Up Meet-ups Held- 12	2
Partnerships	Number of Partnership Agreements Secured with External Organizations- 6	6
Mentee Matched a year	Number of Mentees Matched with Mentors Through the Cross-Learning Mentorship Program	15
AWW leadership and mentorship program	Number of Mentors in the AWW leadership and mentorship program - 40 and Quarterly mentorship reflection reports capturing progress, challenges, and success stories from mentees and mentors. As well as monthly report of AWW programs/ community initiatives - 16 mentorship reports/outcomes documented	56

Budget

16. Will you have any other revenue sources when implementing this proposal (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required): No

16.1. List other revenue sources. (required)

N/A

16.2. Approximately how much revenue will you have from other sources in your local currency? (required): N/A

17. Your local currency. (required): GHS

18. What is the total requested amount in your local currency? (required): 1161922 GHS

Multi-year funding request summary
Year	Amount (local currency)
Year 1	N/A GHS
Year 2	N/A GHS
Year 3	N/A GHS

Requested amount in USD: 74932.35 USD ^{[note 1]}

Multi-year funding request summary in USD
Year	Amount USD ^{[note 1]}
Year 1	N/A USD
Year 2	N/A USD
Year 3	N/A USD

↑ ^a ^b ^c The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.

19. Does this proposal include compensation for staff or contractors? (required): Yes

19.1. How many paid staff members do you plan to have? (required)

Include the number of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include them separately and mention their terms.

3

19.2. How many FTEs (full-time equivalents) in total? (required)

Include the total FTE of staff and contractors during the proposal period. If you have short-term contractors or staff, please include their FTEs with the terms separately.

3

19.3. Describe any staff or contractor changes compared to the current year / ongoing General Support Fund if any. (required only for returning grantees): N/A

20. Please provide an overview of your overall budget categories in your local currency. The budget breakdown should include only the amount requested with this General Support Fund (required).


Budget category	Amount in local currency
Staff and contractor costs	31800 GHS
Operational costs	12531 GHS
Programmatic costs	30639 GHS

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

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-cpUldsJzyahAtS8H_Ar-UU_wVZXX3Je/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104159258073326883827&rtpof=true&sd=true

Additional information

22. In this optional space you can add any other additional information about your proposal or organization that you think can help us when reviewing your proposal. (optional)

This proposal aligns with our commitment to empowering African women through digital literacy, leadership development, and climate resilience. Our organization has a proven track record of impactful programs that address gender gaps in knowledge, representation, and advocacy within the Wikimedia movement and beyond. With strong community engagement, strategic partnerships, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by African women, we are well-positioned to implement this initiative effectively. Your support will enable us to scale our impact, ensuring that more women gain the skills and opportunities needed to drive meaningful change in their communities.

By submitting your proposal/funding request you agree that you are in agreement with the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.

We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.

Yes

Feedback

Please add any feedback to the grant discussion page only. Any feedback added here will be removed.

[fixedrate-1] The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.

[note 1]