Fernanda Weiden: Free Software in Brazil

Groklaw.net is carrying an article by Brazilian developer Fernanda Weiden discussing how she bolstered women's participation in Free Software development and usage in Brazil.

Few will be shocked at the barriers Fernanda Weiden found:

When they try to integrate into the user/developers groups of the Free Software community, most women find barriers, mainly related to two diametrically opposed behaviors: either they will be treated as the most loved person in the group, over treating them, or they will be victims of sexist attacks, jokes or dating approachs.

Another important point is that Free Software development is often done as a hobby, just for fun, and in one's spare time. Where is a woman's spare time? After their working day, most of them still have the second working journey, which is at home, taking care of the home, the children and her husband. If the men can have the privilege of doing Free Software in their spare time, sitting in front of the computer and having some fun coding what they want, women in general don't have this privilege.

She is not enthusiastic about some of the woman-focused groups she has encountered:

The problem is when these groups don't have a clear target, in the end they turn in Barbie worlds that don't exist in reality. Instead of integrating the women into the community, they serve as ghettos, re-creating existing groups in the community with the only objective “being more friendly” for women.

She prefers thinking of woman-focused groups as bridges to the broader development community, as well as to the world at large.

So Fernanda Weiden founded Projeto Software Livre Mulheres to attack the problem from a different angle. Its mission is to address the gender-based digital divide in Brazil by providing tech support to feminist organizations in Brazil and helping them see how Free Software can help them achieve their missions.

A fine article about a fine organization. The world could surely use a few more Fernanda Weidens.