By Joanne Liou, Communications and Impact Specialist
Delegations provide access to meet a diverse range of people – from young students, teachers, government officials and business leaders. On Day 3 in Amman, the delegation visited a public school and startup campus to understand technology’s role in education and business.
Princess Rahma Bint Al Hasan School
The Jordanian government has been a strong supporter of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. In Jordan, women make up 30% of the ICT workforce. Furthermore, the 
Jordan Education Initiative (JEI) is accelerating education reform through integration of ICT.
Maram Damous, a 2015 fellow and the head of project management at JEI, introduced the delegation to JEI at Princess Rahman’s school. The delegation witnessed first-hand a training session by JEI for school teachers on Microsoft OneNote. Mentors were able to help navigate some teachers through the computer program.
Following the training session, the delegation visited classrooms to understand how technology was being utilized in daily lessons, such as learning English.
Oasis 500
Founded in 2010, Oasis500 is an early stage and seed investment company, the first of its kind in Jordan. More than 100 startups have been supported by Oasis500. The delegation – both mentors and fellows – were able to listen to pitches from female entrepreneurs and provide feedback during the speed-geek session.
Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC)
A screening of the She++ opened the Women In STEM reception hosted by ZINC. The CEO of Zain Jordan, Ahmad Al Hanandeh, welcomed the audience of tech men and women and described how technology is an enable for women and provides equal opportunity.
U.S. Ambassador Alice Wells, expressed the importance of TechWomen and other empowering exchange programs, such as TechGirls. “They are about sparking creativity, about dialogue, and building bridges of understanding,” Ambassador Wells stated. “We believe that women and girls deserve the same opportunities that boys and men enjoy, not just because this is a matter of basic human dignity and equal opportunity, but because women’s economic participation lifts entire economies.”
A panel of 2014 TechWomen fellows – Nour Ghali and Asal Ibrahim joined mentor Anar Simpson for a lively discussion on women in STEM and the impact of exchange programs, specifically in Jordan.
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