Women in Localization (WL), a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to foster the advancement of women in the localization industry, proudly announces a new program called Global Growth and Diversity. The program aims to create a more inclusive environment at WL, making sure everyone knows they are welcome in our community. Initiatives include opening new Chapters in underrepresented areas and reaching out to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Carrie Fischer is the Board Sponsor of the program; Edith Bendermacher is the Program Director; and Dominika D’Agostino, Beata Janaszkiewicz-Cavalcanti, and Helga Walker make up the rest of the leadership team. Fabiano Cid and Gary Muddyman are advisors.

This year, thanks to María Jesus de Arriba Díaz and her team, WL opened the Switzerland and Brazil Chapters. The Global Growth team plans to open Chapters in Turkey, Spain, and Portugal by the end of the year. We’re also looking into regions that we’d like to explore more, such as Asia and Latin America.

Additionally, it’s time for WL to branch out into Africa. This year, we’ve partnered with the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA) to help us make contacts, meet new friends, foster new relationships, and expand our horizons. Opening a new Chapter is all about connection, communication, and caring. We’re starting in South Africa because that’s where most of the localization professionals are. Helga Walker, who’s part of the ALCA and WL’s Global Community program, is helping lead this effort. 

Besides opening new Chapters, WL plans to reach out to HBCUs to invite them to become members of WL. There is a lack of Black representation in the localization industry and within our organization. Out of the over 200 HBCUs in the United States, 19 of them offer language degrees. Do they know about the localization industry? We would venture to guess no.

If you watched our Fireside Chat with Hilary Bass a few years ago, you learned that corporations are leaving $300 trillion dollars on the table each year by not suppressing unconscious biases and therefore losing the opportunity to hire the right person for the job. What are we leaving on the table as a nonprofit? Different perspectives? Thinking outside our usual way of doing business? We need new ideas and new experiences to keep our organization rich with constant evolution. This means analyzing our website, hosting more events about unconscious bias, and reaching out to the LGBTQ+ community. Evolving and changing at this level doesn’t happen overnight, and we expect it to take years to get it right. 

Please join us in our journey to open new Chapters and to become a more inclusive organization. If you have ideas or want to contribute, open a new Chapter, or just chat, we welcome your feedback. Our email address is globalgrowth.diversity@womeninlocalization.com.