Looking closer at gender diversity in the OpenStack community

A new version of the gender-diversity report brings more points of analysis and updated numbers. Its goal is to spark more discussion on the topic and open other areas of analysis not covered in the first report. And feedback from the community in general, some project team leads (PTLs) in particular, and the help of the Foundation have been priceless to understand those areas.

This second edition brings attention to two new research areas: attendees representation and non-technical contributions. These studies are added on top of the previous analysis focused on leadership/governance and technical contributions (mainly Git and Gerrit). In the governance area it’s worth mentioning the addition of two women to the Technical Committee, that’s 15 percent of the total members.

Attendees at the most recent Summits and project team gatherings (PTGs) are in line with the technical contribution numbers, where women represent between ten and 12 percent. Keynote speakers now account for over 25 percent at the OpenStack Summits.

Non-technical contributions, the new area of analysis, offers insight into how gender diversity has evolved, including contributions to the mailing lists. The participation of women in this case is around 13 percent. The addition of these two new areas of analysis provides a broader understanding of the efforts to bring more diverse working group under the Foundation umbrella.There’s a remarkable amount of diversity at the Summits and PTGs.

One of the goals of this analysis is not to focus on specific numbers, but to discuss where there’s room for improvement. Ideally, this data also helps make decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives.

The data compiled in this report is simply a first step and should be seen as a tool that can be easily used by the community. More in-depth analysis can be done, by project, by organization or by other criteria.

You can download the 37-page the report in .PDF here.

But to keep improving, we need your feedback as member of the OpenStack community. If you have any ideas, comments or concerns about how to help with gender diversity, let us know!

Tags: OpenStack community