Genderchangers

The Genderchangers is a group of women originating in the ASCII hack lab (around 1999 in Amsterdam). The main aims of the initiative is to get more women interested in information technology and the principal of universal interoperability of systems. The first activities which the Genderchangers organised were tech knowledge-sharing workshops provided by women, for women. Through the enthusiastic response to these early local activities, the idea of an annual international meeting or event was borne. This gathering, called the Eclectic Tech Carnival (/ETC) has taken place with success every year since 2002.

Both the Genderchangers and the /ETC are organised, or not organised, in a collective and non-hierarchical manner, with locally-autonomous branches. Most activities depend on someone coming up with an idea and finding the will and support to implement it.

Participants: Tali Smith, Sara Platon, brbr (Barbara), Sisi, Donna Metzlar, Maya, Sol Haring, Nancy Mauro-Flude, Audrey Samson, Jane, Kristina, Maike, Maria Karagianni, Sabrina Basten, Reni Hofmüller, Uschi Reiter, Vesna Manojlovic, Aileen Derieg, Amaia Castro, Petra Timmermans, Helen Varley Jamieson, Anna, and others.

Publications

• "The Genderchangers Manifesto", n.d.
• Nancy Mauro-Flude, "Social Software, Fiction, Action at a Distance and Dolls", Mute, London, 19 Apr 2006.
• Aileen Derieg, "Things Can Break: Tech Women Crashing Computers and Preconceptions", transversal, 2007.
  • "Es kann kaputtgeh’n. Tech-Frauen bringen Computer und Vorurteile zum Abstürzen", trans. Marion Hamm, transversal, 2007. (German)
  • "Las cosas pueden romperse: mujeres tekis que desguazan ordenadores e ideas preconcebidas", trans. Marta Malo de Molina, transversal, 2007. (Spanish)
• Gabriella Coleman, "Interview with Tali Smith (Genderchangers)", 2009. Video.

Links

• Home page
• Old home page