Although gender is a spectrum, it is sometimes reduced to a strict binary by our language and cultural standards. Investigating how binary gender stereotypes appear in our presumptions, language, and comprehension of various cultures and eras, this panel explores the widespread impact of these preconceptions

Speakers from different backgrounds will share personal and cultural insights about how gender norms have shaped their lives and work, and how they have navigated or resisted these expectations. The session will also delve into how language influences gender perceptions especially in binary-gendered languages and how mapping, storytelling, and open communities like OpenStreetMap (OSM) can either reinforce or disrupt these binaries.

The conversation aims to create space for thoughtful reflection and inclusive dialogue, empowering participants to rethink their assumptions and practices related to gender, both in daily life and in collaborative environments like open mapping.

Guiding questions:
1. Identifying Gender Norms
o What are some common binary gender stereotypes you’ve encountered in your OSM community?
o How do these stereotypes show up in open mapping or technology spaces?
2. Personal Acts of Resistance
o Have you personally challenged or broken a binary gender stereotype? What did that look like?
3. Cultural and Historical Perspectives
o Are there examples from other cultures or time periods that recognize more than two genders? What can we learn from them?
4. Language and Identity
o How does your language shape the way gender is expressed or understood?
o Are there ways your language includes or excludes non-binary identities?
5. Community Impact
o How can open communities like OSM create more inclusive environments that recognize diverse gender identities?

The UN Maps Programme, an initiative from the Department of Operational Support at the United Nations, provides topographic maps, operational geo-information, search and navigation tools, and imagery and street-level base maps to peacekeeping and humanitarian actors in UN mission areas. UN Maps has established a community of OpenStreetMap (OSM) data contributors called UN Mappers. The UN Mappers community is a collective of open mapping enthusiasts dedicated to building accurate and crowd-worked geospatial data to support peacekeeping and humanitarian missions on the ground.

The session aims to provide updates about the UN Maps programme and the UN Mappers community. In addition, we aim to share co-created and adopted initiatives that we are currently exploring in community building and sustainability, such as the UN Mappers Ambassadors and Chapters, and to discuss lessons learned and challenges.