| Code of Conduct

Last version: February 15th, 2023

 

 

The following Code of Conduct is our best effort to create a space where every woman can feel both free and safe so that our group will be as enriching, enjoyable and inspiring as possible. 
By being a member of this group, you agree to follow the Code of Conduct

 

 

| Basics

She Speaks Power is a MeetUp group where people with any degree of interest or experience can connect with other women. 
We operate under the principles of respect, inclusivity and comprehension. As we consider these concepts essential as part of our culture. 
The above applies to all organised MeetUp events as well as to communications between group members while in the context of the group. 
Naturally, the group has no opinion about what happens in private chats or meetings, as long as it happens among consenting adults, and is subject to the agreement of all the people involved. 
We are not a dating group, therefore we do not accept men in our community. We have nothing against them, but our group has the goal of bringing women together. 

 

 

| Personal Space
By being a member of this group, you accept and respect everyone else’s personal space, consent, and agency - at all times. Of course, such boundaries are different for each person. We therefore strongly encourage, all members to be careful and respectful, in particular when: 

• Communicating with other members outside of our meetings;

• Inviting other members to meet outside the context of our events;

• Engaging them in conversations on sensitive topics;

• Asking them to reveal details about their private life. 

 

The above is by no means an exhaustive list and it necessarily leaves many concepts such as “sensitive” or “private”, open to interpretation. Therefore we cannot stress enough the importance of communication and active listening. Please remember that everyone has their own way of saying “no” and many people have trouble giving an explicit, firm negative answer: as a general rule assume that everything that is not an enthusiastic “yes” actually means “no”. 

If another member declines an invitation to communicate with you in any way, your repeated requests are considered a violation of their consent and stated boundaries. 

Please bear in mind that a person’s past consent to a certain activity should not be taken as an implicit acceptance of their future participation in the same activity.

 

 

| Fundamental Communication Standards (both MeetUp and online)  

We agree to communicate with empathy and as little judgment as possible; to express ourselves honestly and to listen carefully. Each member commits to aiming to bring out the best in themselves by letting the way they communicate be led by love, respect, understanding, appreciation, compassion, and care, instead of letting it be led by egocentrism, greed, prejudices, and aggression. 

Before you react in a certain situation, it is important to take a moment and reflect on what you observe and what impact the observation has on your feelings. 

We commit to creating a reciprocal flow of communication in which compassion between people can evolve in a natural way. We seek to talk about our emotions and needs by “owning them” in such a way that makes it easier for others to show empathy and enrich our lives. 

We commit to being careful about the words we use. There is a lot of everyday language which discriminates agains people. Using them may seem harmless to some, but actually discriminates agains minorities and other groups of people. If someone calls you out for using problematic language, please take the time to listen, apologise, reflect and put the effort into not using the language again. 
You may be asked to leave the community for using this kind of language. 

We commit to being mindful of how much time and space we are taking up. Am I talking too much? Am I preventing people from the opportunity to participate in the conversation? Am I talking about a subject where none of the presents have interest in?

 

 

| Diversity Statement

We encourage every woman to participate and are committed to building a community for all. We seek to treat everyone both as fairly and equally as possible. Whenever a participant has made a mistake, we expect them to take responsibility for it. 
If someone has been harmed or offended, it is our responsibility to listen carefully and respectfully, and do our best to right and wrong. 
Although this list cannot be exhaustive, we explicitly honor diversity in age, expression, culture, ethnicity, language, national origin, political beliefs, profession, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and technical ability. We will not tolerate discrimination based on any of the protected.

 

Our community is a safe space where individuals share experiences, and we welcome all who identify as women. Additionally, we extend a warm welcome to non-binary individuals who were women in the past. We believe in creating an inclusive environment where everyone can connect, learn, and grow together. Your unique journey is valued, and we embrace diversity in all its forms.

 

 

| Organising Events Etiquette

Organising events requires time, effort, and occasionally, venue bookings. To ensure the smooth functioning of our community, we kindly request that participants who book an event make a sincere effort to attend or communicate in case of unavoidable delays. Failure to do so may result in a strike. Accumulating three strikes will lead to the person being regrettably banned from the group. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the integrity of our events.

 

 

| Privacy

By participating in our events you will be giving us permission to take pictures or videos to upload them on our social media. 
You have the right at any point to claim your privacy and ask to remove you from the pictures and/or videos. Just let the person taking them know. 

 

 

| What to do if the Code of Conduct is not respected

If you feel that someone is breaking the Code of Conduct of this group in any way (online or offline), please point it out to them, if you feel comfortable doing so. 

If that does not stop them (or you are unwilling / unable to do so), then contact the group owner(s). We will immediately take appropriate action. 

We reserve the right to cancel anyone’s group membership immediately if we believe that a Code of Conduct violation has occurred, or if we consider that they are a threat to the well-being of other members. 

We will report any criminal or dangerous behaviours to the relevant authorities and cooperate with them if necessary.