By Amy Juelsgaard, Program Associate
The application for the 2017 TechWomen program will open on November 15. TechWomen strives to identify emerging women leaders in all fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East. TechWomen is a competitive program; last year, 2,319 applications were received for 90 spots. The selected 2016 Emerging Leaders represented the top 4% of applicants. The 2017 program will bring 100 women from 20 countries, including Pakistan for the first time, to the U.S. to participate in the program from September to October 2017.
Participants will be women engaged or rising in professional careers that require significant expertise/knowledge of technology and/or innovative application of these skills, and who already are — or show promise of being — role models for others in their countries, particularly for women and girls.
To apply, applicants must
- Be women with, at minimum, two years full-time professional experience in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math)
- Have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree/four year university degree or equivalent
- Be proficient in written and spoken English
- Be citizens and permanent residents of Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan or Zimbabwe at the time of application, and while participating in the program
- Be eligible to obtain a U.S. J-1 exchange visitor visa
- Not have applied for an immigrant visa to the United States, or participated in a visa lottery in the past five years
- Not hold U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. legal permanent resident
To view all of the eligibility information, award details and detailed information on the program, go to our participant page. Visit our blog for highlights from the 2016 program, participant stories and to learn more about the TechWomen experience.
“When I think about how much TechWomen has grown, and all that our alumnae – both from overseas and from California – have accomplished, it not only makes me excited and proud, but it makes me truly hopeful,” Sheila Casey of the U.S. Department of State said at the 2016 Cultural Kickoff. “Despite all the chaos and conflict happening across the globe, when you hear about the work that TechWomen have done for girls, students and others in their communities in Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, Jordan and Kazakhstan, and when you learn about mentors traveling on their own to join TechWomen in places like Palestine and Cameroon, you cannot help but be hopeful for the future.”
If you feel passionate about social impact and believe you can take your learnings from the program to lead the change in your community, we strongly encourage you to apply and join our network of 419 TechWomen fellows shaping the future for women and girls. The deadline to apply is January 17, 2017. Stay tuned to us on social media or join our mailing list to receive notification when the application is launched.
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