As part of the annual African Crossroads, we invite a group of African womxn (women including transgender women) to take part in a 3 days long data collection that focuses on issues that affect womxn in African cities, in this case, gender representation in conferences. We asked them, “Does the structure or person allow me to be who I am, in how I want my gender represented or supported?”
Interested to collaborate or host SUPERPOWER! in your city? Visit superpower.lingql.com to find out more.
Presented at: African Crossroads 2019
Participants were asked to collect perceptual data throughout the duration of the conference using the SUPERPOWER! Toolkit – a series of gesture-driven wearables that enable people to record their subjective perception through performing body gestures. Each participant designed 2 different body gestures that represent when they “feel good” or “feel bad”. The toolkit consists of a mobile phone app coupled to a custom made wearable that enables them to log in the gestures and use them to record data throughout the 3 days period.
– Screenshot of SUPERPOWER! Mobile phone app –
During the period, participants capture experiential and spatial data on how the events, discussions and encounters (public and/or personal) affect them perceptually. Their involvement help to prompt wider discussion about womxn representation in the conference and their aggregated data were used as feedback to the conference organiser, Hivos. 
– Visualisation showing aggregated data over the period –
Feedback from some participants on the experience:
“Made me a lot more aware and conscious to judge and analyse conversations much more critically.”
“Somewhat therapeutical in allowing me to ask how I am feeling about the question at this moment. Really interrogating my own position and the environment around me.”
“Had fun tracking the data and asking the questions to other participants about their engagements.”
Special thanks to:
The participants who took part in the project
Director of Innovation at Co-Creation Hub Femi Longe
Fak’ugesi Festival Director Tegan Bristow
Hivos
SUPERPOWER! Mombasa is a project by Ling Tan. Supported by Hivos, African Crossroads, Fak’ugesi Principle Researcher & Senior Lecturer Dr Tegan Bristow and Social entrepreneur Femi Longe.
