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Wiki Loves Women/Team

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Wiki Loves Women


Florence Devouard and Isla Haddow-Flood conceptualised Wiki Loves Women in 2015 and developed it in discussion with Brigitte Doellgast at the Goethe-Institut. It was launched in 2016 with community building activities in 4 African countries and 2 online drives. Since then the community is growing in 12 countries, led by Wikimedia individuals and usergroups who conduct local community activities in partnership with over 78 organisation. The project provides further visibility and content through at least two online drives a year. In 2021, Wiki Loves Women was excited to add Candy Tricia Khohliwe to the team as an administrative assistant. In 2022, 3 new members joined the team, Afek Ben Chahed as a community facilitator, Nonny Nthlala as an Administrative Support and Rachel Zadok as a Communications Manager.

The current team

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Image Name & Role Country Bio Contact
Florence Devouard

Co-creator and co-lead

France I was born in Versailles (France). I grew up in Grenoble, and have been living since then in several French cities, as well as Antwerpen in Belgium and Tempe in Arizona.

I am an engineer in Agronomy (ENSAIA and also hold a DEA in Genetics and biotechnologies (INPL). I have spent a while in public research (INRA), working in flower plant genetic improvement, later in applied research, in microbiology, to study the feasibility of heavily polluted soil bioremediation. I spent some time in Tempe University (Arizona), following courses in computer science and civil engineering. After a break to take care of my first two kids, I joined a small french firm, Quantix Agro, whose activity was related with decision tools, in finances, insurance, agriculture and agri-business. My part was in the agri-business, and I mostly worked to conceive decision-making tools in w:en:sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately, my firm had to stop activity at the end of 2005. As of late 2021, I am 53, and live in Marseille. A few (rather old) pics. My kids are sometimes featured in some wikimedia projects. The last one is hidden somewhere in the Wikibooks on photography.

Isla Haddow-Flood

Co-creator and co-lead

Zimbabwae/ South Africa A Zimbabwean by birth, and a Capetonian by adoption, Oxford-educated Isla Haddow-Flood is a writer, editor and project and communications strategist who is passionate about harnessing communication technology and media platforms for the advancement of open access to knowledge; specifically, the knowledge that relates to and enhances the understanding of Africa via the Open Movement (and especially Wikipedia). Since 2011, Isla has been working to Activate Africa. Working as a member of the WikiAfrica movement, she has conceptualised, instigated and been the co-lead on a number of projects related to Wikipedia and Africa, including as Wiki Loves Africa (the annual photographic contest), Kumusha Takes Wiki (citizen journalists in Africa collecting freely-licensed content), Wiki Loves Women (content liberation project related to African Women), WikiFundi(an offline editing environment that mimics Wikipedia), and WikiChallenge African Schools (that introduces the next generation of editors to Wikipedia). In 2021 she co-created and launched the WikiAfrica Hour and the WikiAfrica Heritage training program for GLAMs. She lives in Simon's Town, South Africa, is the Director of Communication for Open Education Global and co-leads Wiki In Africa.
Afek Ben Chahed

Community Facilitator

Tunisia Tunisian, Librarian and an active member of Wikimedia Tunisia User Group since 2016 after winning the first prize of Wiki Women Tunisia. She co-organised several projects and contests as Wiki Loves Africa in Tunisia, WikiChallenge Ecoles d'Afrique, WikiGap, Art and Feminism, and leaded the expansion project of the ArabCom by creating a new community in Mauritania. She was involved in organising many events as WikiIndaba 2018, Wiki Summit 2019(The visiting Wikimedian), WikiConvention Francophone 2019 and WikiArabia 2019. On 2020, she integrated the board of Wikimedia Tunisia as a vice president. Passionate about heritage, she co-founded Africvs, a youth collective which works on promoting and documenting the Tunisian heritage. afek@Wikiinafrica.org
Nonny Ntlahla

Admin Support

South Africa A young Social Dynamics graduate and currently an enthusiastic Health and Fitness student completing their Diploma. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Nonny is extremely passionate about the integration of Mental Health and Sports/Physical Exercise, and what that can do for social and community development. She is currently working as an Administrative Assistant for the Wiki In Africa Organisation and seeks to develop and learn skills that may be useful in aiding her passion and love for Mental and Physical Health.
Rachel Zadok

Communications Manager

South Africa

An editor, writer and designer and the author of two novels: Gem Squash Tokoloshe (Pan Macmillan, 2005), shortlisted for The Whitbread First Novel Award and The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and longlisted for the IMPAC Award; and Sister-sister (Kwela Books, 2013), shortlisted for the University of Johannesburg Prize and The Herman Charles Bosman Prize, and longlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction Award. She is the managing editor of Short Story Day Africa, a project to promote and develop African writers using the medium of the short story, and as such has published seven anthologies of African short fiction. She is also the communications manager for Wiki in Africa and the project manager for Inspiring Open, a podcast series of Wiki Loves Women, a project of Wiki in Africa.

Former team members

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Image Name & Role Country Bio
Candy Tricia Khohliwe

Administrative Assistant

Botswana Candy Tricia Khohliwe is a long-term editor and member of 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 is the coordinator with Wiki Loves Women Focus Group Members initiative.