Understanding the Need for Systemic Change in Open Source Through Intersectionality

While open-source communities strive for innovation, achieving genuine diversity and inclusion requires a fundamental understanding of systemic inequalities.

This talk centers on the lived experiences of women navigating open-source spaces. We will reveal the persistent challenges related to safety, lack of representation, and the critical importance of considering intersecting identities. By applying an intersectionality lens, we can gain a clearer understanding of the systemic changes required to dismantle the barriers.

This session will then focus on the power of sponsorship and fostering allyship as key strategies for enacting this change. We will highlight existing initiatives and brainstorm solutions to build a more welcoming and equitable community where everyone feels empowered to contribute.

Join us to explore how understanding the need for systemic change through intersectionality and how actively fostering allyship and sponsorship can pave the way for a truly diverse and inclusive open-source future.

1. Understanding the Need for
Systemic Change in Open Source
Through Intersectionality
Imma Valls

2. Imma Valls (she/her)
Staff Developer Advocate Grafana Labs
Who am I?

3. 1.The Landscape of Women in Tech & OSS
2.Barriers to Entry & Retention
3.My Journey in Tech & OSS
4.The Intersectionality Lens
5.Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
6.Points to Take Home
What to expect from this presentation?

4. Books Giveaway

5. 1. The Landscape of Women in Tech & OSS

6. https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/a-com-migration/pdf/pdf-134/accenture-a4-gwc-report-final1.pdf (2020)
1. The Landscape of Women in Tech
women leave
tech roles at a
45%
higher rate
than men
compared to
20%
in other
types of jobs
50%
of women
who take a
tech role
leave at age
35

7. 1. The Landscape of Women in OSS
https://openforumeurope.org/where-are-women-of-open-source (2017)
https://www.womentech.net/en-es/women-in-tech-stats (2024)
around
5%
women
contribute
ASF
28%
women
contribute
proprietary
software
around
9%
women
GitHub
users
around
9%
women
contribute
Linux
kernel

8. 2. Barriers to Entry & Retention

9. 2. Barriers to Entry and Retention

10. 2. Barriers to Entry and RetentionI feel like I'm not good
enough to contribute
to open source. I'm
afraid of making
mistakes or being
publicly judged
I was tired of being
the only woman in
the room. It was
isolating and made
it hard to feel like I
belonged
It's hard to find time
to contribute to open
source when I'm also
juggling a full-time
job and family
responsibilities
I changed my
GitHub profile to
make my gender
non-identifiable

11. 2. Barriers to Entry and Retention - Is meritocracy enough?
Tony Ruth’s Equity Series (2019) https://es.slideshare.net/slideshow/tony-ruths-equity-series-2019-247618162/247618162

12. 2. Barriers to Entry and Retention - Is meritocracy enough?
Tony Ruth’s Equity Series (2019) https://es.slideshare.net/slideshow/tony-ruths-equity-series-2019-247618162/247618162

13. 3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

14. 3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torredeflot

15. 1974 2025
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
« Saturday coding class
with my brother»
1984
First Time Coding - Lack of Representation

16. 1974 2025
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
« Chemistry and Maths
teacher at boarding school »
1986
The Importance of Role Models

17. 1974 2025
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
« Maths teacher at High School »
1990
Why did I Study Engineering?

18. 1974 2025
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
« High School’s janitor »
1992
A Rural Girl Studying Engineering in the Big City? - Lack of Support

19. 1974 2025
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
« 20% women studying
engineering - mostly
male professors »
1994
Engineering Degree - Lack of Representation

20. 1974 2025
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS
«The 1998 wildfire »
1998
https://www.viladetora.net/11-noticia-889-cronica_dels_incendis_5_dies_de_focs_terror_i_llagrimes.html
https://www.somsegarra.cat/medi-ambient/noticia/1982/1998-tres-dies-de-foc-i-terror-que-perduren-en-la-memoria-els-fets
Joining the Workforce - Lost “Privilege”

21. 1974 20251998
« Get used to it! »
Gender-based Occupational Stereotyping
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

22. 1974 20252001
« 37% professionals
report they need to hide
aspects of themselves
in the workplace »
https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/hr_in_business/many-people-still-feel-cannot-authentic-self-work
Conforming & Code Switching
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

23. 1974 20252001
« We are all guys in my
department, you know… »
Erasing my Identity
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

24. 1974 20252010
https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/survivorship-bias
« The experience of a
migrant in the Spanish
tech market »
Unconscious Unearned Privilege
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

25. 1974 20252017
« Joining local tech
communities, getting
support to start a new
chapter - and giving back! »
The Turning Point: A New Chapter Begins
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

26. 1974 20252018
https://betterallies.medium.com/languagematters-5-actions-to-take-as-allies-7e32e4849da9
http://web.augsburg.edu/english/writinglab/Avoiding_Ableist_Language.pdf
« Stepping into a global
environment: embracing
diversity is about far more than
just recognizing differences –
it's about celebrating them »
New Perspectives: Embracing Diversity
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

27. 1974 20252023
« We are not getting there!
How can we do better, why are
current efforts not working?
As a survivor, do I have an
awareness gap? »
Diverse & Inclusive (Barcelona) Tech Communities?
3. My Journey In Tech & OSS

28. 4. The Intersectionality Lens

29. 4. The Intersectionality Lens
●Gender isn't the only factor
shaping our experiences and
opportunities.
●We all have diverse social
identities aside from gender:
ethnicity, age, class, sexual
orientation, etc. that intersect and
interact to create unique and
complex forms of discrimination

30. 4. The Intersectionality Lens
The Wheel of Privilege
https://sites.nd.edu/ccm/2023/02/20/the-intersectionality-of-privilege/

31. 4. The Intersectionality Lens
https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/survivor
ship-bias

32. 5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive
OSS Communities

33. ●Diversity is inviting a variety of
folks to contribute
●Inclusion is making sure they feel
welcome, comfortable and safe to
contribute
●Equity is making sure they have the
resources and opportunities they
need to succeed, regardless of their
background
●Systemic Change!
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

34. ●Better Software
●Resilient Communities
●Innovation
●Sustainable
●Social Impact
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

35. Recognise
Privileges
Shifting
Perspectives
Better
Allies
IntersectionalityCode-switchingAllyship
Become a Better Ally for Systemic Change
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

36. Ethnicity
Gender Identity
Skin color
(Dis)ability
Language
Caring duties
Career stage
Sexuality
Neuro diversity
Formal education
Citizenship status
Body size
AgeMental health
5.1. Recognise Privileges
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
Do your own
Intersectionality
Wheel of Privilege

37. 5.1. Unveiling Privilege & Fostering Empathy
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
●Find someone who does not share one or more
of your privileges
●Ask
« What has been your experience with … being
a migrant/not having an engineering
degree/being a parent/not being cisgender... »
●Just listen & learn, don’t offer advice

38. 5.2. Shifting Perspectives
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/hr_in_business/many-people-still-feel-cannot-authentic-self-work
https://www.audeliss.com/en_us/code-switching-at-work-the-hidden-tax-on-lgbtq-employees
65%
LGBTQ+
employees feel
the need to
code-switch to
progress in their
careers
employees
37%
report need to
hide aspects in
the workplace
care-giving
employees
46%
feel they cannot
be their
authentic selves
at work

39. 5.2. Shifting Perspectives: Stepping Into Their Shoes
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
●Recall an Anecdote
Think of a recent anecdote or experience that
happened to a friend, family member, or even a
public figure. Something that happened last
weekend, recently at work, or in a social setting.
●Swap the Gender
When you share this anecdote, change the gender
of the main person in the story.

40. 5.2. Shifting Perspectives
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

41. 5.3. Allyship: Becoming a Better Ally
« My current journey towards
becoming a better ally for a more
diverse open source communities
began with the insights from Karen
Catlin's invaluable book, 'Better
Allies' »
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

42. 5.3. Allyship: Roles and Actions
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kecatlin_betterallies-allyship-inclusionmatters-activity-7192201377685688322-tpwk
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

43. 5.3. Allyship: Mentoring vs Sponsorship
●Guide
●Support
●Develop
●Advocate
●Connect
●Champion
https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/article-mentor-vs-sponsor-closing-tech-gender-gap
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/mentorship-programs
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
THE SPONSOR

44. 5.3. Allyship: Subtle Acts of Exclusion
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
THE AMPLIFIER
●Interrupting → Redirect the
conversation back
●Bropropriating → Give credit
where it’s due
●Unheard voices → Intentional
pause, be a space-maker
THE CHAMPION

45. 5.3. Allyship: Safer Spaces Creating and Enforcing a CoC
●Use your influence to drive
systemic change
●Actions Speak Louder Than
Words: Building Better
Communities - Lian Li
●https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=h6bmwkL_-FM
●http://bit.ly/coc-training
●http://bit.ly/coc-scenarios
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
THE ADVOCATE

46. 5.3. Allyship: Active and Compassionate Listening
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
THE CONFIDANT
●Self-Compassion
●Setting the intention of
listening, not fixing
●Deep, Mindful Attention
●Authentic Inquiry
●Listening for the
Humanity

47. 5.3. Allyship: Safer Spaces with Inclusive Language
●Gender neutral language
●Use correct pronouns
●Cultural sensitivity
●Intersectionality - loaded words
https://www.aswf.io/blog/inclusive-language
https://inclusivenaming.org/
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
THE UPSTENDER

48. 5.3. Allyship: Educate Yourself
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
THE SCHOLAR
●We All Have Hidden Biases -
even “Good People”
●IAT: Implicit Association Test
●Do not expect
underrepresented groups to
educate you
●Share what you learn!
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

49. Some Women Communities & Initiatives
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities
●Women of Open Source | https://womenofopensource.org/
●Ladies that FOSS |
https://luciekaffee.github.io/projects/ladies-that-foss/
●Google Women TechMakers |
https://developers.google.com/womentechmakers
●GirlScript Summer of Code | https://gssoc.girlscript.tech/
●Women in APIs | https://www.womeninapis.com/
●Local communities …
5. Building Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive OSS Communities

50. 6. Points to Take Home

51. « For me, allyship is about showing up, respecting space,
and being ready to listen. It’s not about making yourself
the centre of attention. It’s about understanding that
sometimes the best support is quiet, consistent presence »
Lewis Denham-Parry
https://edera.dev/stories/showing-up-matters-reflections-on-pride-allyship-and-community
6. Points to Take Home

52. ●Recognise privilege and power - learn to
identify disadvantages
●Shift perspectives - how does if feel to be
in others’ shoes? - foster empathy
Be an Ally for
Systemic Change!
6. Points to Take Home
https://betterallies.com/illustrations-to-share

53. I am here thanks to…

54. Thanks!
Imma Valls | https://eyeveebee.dev

55. https://bit.ly/systemic-change-osseu25

56. Q & A