I think it might be useful to read the entire mission statement [1], which also says:
"The GNOME foundation must not stifle the interest of
outsiders. An ill-conceived foundation could discourage outsider
participation directly, by establishing rules which limit the ability of
potential contributors to make their mark, or indirectly, by
engendering an alienating sense of elitism. The stained glass of the
cathedral creates a colorful spectacle for those inside, but from the
outside, the building is just a hulking grey edifice, intimidating and
impenetrable.
This
principle has real, concrete meaning for the foundation: All
discussions must be publicly viewable, any person must have the
opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process, and every
GNOME contributor must have the direct ability to influence the
decisions which are made. The foundation must be democratic and friendly
to those responsible for making GNOME what it is."
I think OPW is a working to address this. Whether or not it's pleasant to think about, women are, to a large extent, outsiders who have traditionally been discouraged from participating in the FOSS community. I think it's legitimate for us to decide how much of our resources we put into this, but I do think it addresses real issues, and has been very successful.
