# EqualStreetNames

> Wikimedia Belgium project

**Wikidata**: [Q104010394](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104010394)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/equalstreetnames

## Summary
EqualStreetNames is a WikiProject, website, and digital map focused on gender equality and women's emancipation within Belgium. Organized by Wikimedia Belgium, Open Knowledge Belgium, and OpenStreetMap, the project uses open data to visualize street names. It is funded by equal.brussels and makes its source code available under the MIT License.

## Key Facts
- **Classifications:** Instance of a WikiProject, website, and digital map.
- **Organizers:** Wikimedia Belgium, Open Knowledge Belgium, and OpenStreetMap.
- **Funder:** equal.brussels.
- **Technical Platform:** Uses OpenStreetMap.
- **License:** MIT License.
- **Aliases:** Also known as "Towards Equal Street Names with Open Data."
- **Location:** Belgium.
- **Subject Focus:** Women's emancipation and gender equality.
- **Project Timeline:** Point in time reference: February 17, 2020.
- **Source Code:** Hosted at github.com/EqualStreetNames/equalstreetnames.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary goal of EqualStreetNames?
A: The project focuses on women's emancipation and gender equality. It aims to highlight the representation of women through the lens of street naming conventions in Belgium using open data.

### Q: Who organizes and funds the project?
A: The project is organized by Wikimedia Belgium, Open Knowledge Belgium, and OpenStreetMap. It receives funding from equal.brussels.

### Q: Where can the project be accessed?
A: The project can be accessed via its website at equalstreetnames.org or equalstreetnames.eu. Additionally, its source code is available on GitHub under the MIT License.

## Why It Matters
EqualStreetNames addresses the cultural visibility of women in public spaces by leveraging open data to map and analyze street names. By identifying the disparity between male and female figures commemorated in street names, the project provides tangible data to support discussions on gender equality and women's emancipation. This initiative is significant because it transforms abstract social issues into visual, data-driven insights accessible to the public.

The project serves as a model for how open-source tools and collaborative platforms like OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia can be utilized for social advocacy. By making the code open-source under the MIT License and using open data, it allows for transparency and potential replication in other regions. The collaboration between major open knowledge organizations (Wikimedia Belgium, Open Knowledge Belgium) and government support (equal.brussels) highlights the role of civic technology in modern urban planning and social history.

## Notable For
- **Integrated Data Approach:** Combines the functionalities of a WikiProject, a website, and a digital map to visualize social data.
- **Open Source Advocacy:** Operates under the MIT License and utilizes OpenStreetMap, promoting transparency and open data usage.
- **Specific Social Focus:** Distinctly targets "women's emancipation" and "gender equality" as its field of work.
- **Collaborative Organizational Structure:** A joint effort between the open-source community (OpenStreetMap), the open knowledge movement (Open Knowledge Belgium), and the Wikimedia foundation.
- **Distinguishing Feature:** Explicitly noted as different from the initiative "Meer vrouw op straat."

## Body
### Organizational Structure and Support
EqualStreetNames is a collaborative initiative primarily organized by **Wikimedia Belgium**, **Open Knowledge Belgium**, and **OpenStreetMap**. The project operates within **Belgium** and is financially supported by **equal.brussels**. A specific point in time reference for the project's activity is **February 17, 2020**.

### Technical Infrastructure
The project functions as a **website** and **digital map** that relies on **OpenStreetMap** for its data. The technical backend is transparent and collaborative:
- **Source Code:** Available at `https://github.com/EqualStreetNames/equalstreetnames`.
- **Copyright:** The project is copyrighted but licensed under the **MIT License**, allowing for broad usage and modification.

### Objectives and Identity
The core mission of EqualStreetNames is centered on **women's emancipation** and **gender equality**. While it is a WikiProject, it is distinct from the initiative known as "Meer vrouw op straat." The project is described in Wikidata simply as a "Wikimedia Belgium project."

### Web Presence
EqualStreetNames maintains a primary web presence at **`https://equalstreetnames.org/`** (preferred) and **`https://equalstreetnames.eu/`**. Detailed descriptions of the project's activities can be found at `https://openknowledge.be/activities/equalstreetnames` and related event pages on Facebook. The project has a "sitelink count" of 1, indicating a specific connection within the Wikimedia ecosystem.

## References

1. [Source](https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_Belgium/Towards_Equal_Street_Names_with_Open_Data_(2020-02-17))