Impact Stories from Education Diplomacy/Mentoring Policy Area
Fellow featured in global forum on women in leadership
Fellow(s): Reema Diab
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2019 fellow Reema Diab presented on her initiative that empowers women and girls with IT skills at this week’s Global Viewpoints Forum hosted by Legacy International. The event also featured TechGirls alumna Lara Kasbari of the Palestinian Territories.
Reema is the founder of Galaxy Organization, an IT non-profit that hosts programs for youth and women in artificial intelligence, coding and more. In her presentation, Reema outlined the unemployment challenges women face in Jordan, explaining that women only account for 12% of the Jordanian workforce. Through its programs, Galaxy has a mission to train women and youth with IT skills that will help them find jobs and opportunities: “All the women and youth are empowered to create a better life using their skills in technology,” said Reema. Galaxy has trained over 2,200 girls through its cybersecurity program, and 550 women have participated in its online business program. The organization has recently expanded its reach to women and youth in Egypt, Dubai and the Philippines.
Report Date...: 3/22/21
Fellow’s non-profit opens a STEM space for girls
Fellow(s): Janet Leparteleg and Chepkemoi Magdaline
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2017, 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Butterfly Techies, the non-profit founded by 2017 fellow Janet Leparteleg, has opened its first STEM space for students in Samburu County, Kenya. Janet created Butterfly Techies in 2016 with a mission to expose high school girls from arid and semi-arid counties to STEM careers and empower them with digital literacy skills. In addition to founding the non-profit, Janet is an assistant ICT officer at ICT authority as well as a 2019 Chevening Scholar.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Janet’s outreach to schools in rural Kenya came to a halt. “Schools in Kenya had been closed for nine months, and once they resumed, there were very strict measures for school visits,” she said. “That affected our programs, and we felt the need to open up a community space to increase our scope from students to entire communities.” Butterfly Techies has already purchased computers and supplies for their pilot program, which will bring in 12 students for classes on digital literacy. The first cohort begins in two weeks, and Janet is already speaking to partners – many of whom are TechWomen fellows – who will create programs that train students in IT, 21st century skills, leadership and more. This month, Butterfly Techies also partnered with North-Rift Women in STEM, the AEIF-winning initiative co-led by 2019 fellow Chepkemoi Magdaline, to run a STEM training bootcamp for 90 women and girls in Samburu County.
Report Date...: 3/15/21
Fellow speaks about her STEM career in podcast
Fellow(s): Fatima Zohra Benhamida
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
This week, 2017 fellow Fatima Zohra Benhamida was a featured guest on the Gusra Podcast, a podcast that invites thought-leaders in the MENA region to speak about their experiences, careers and passions. Fatima is an assistant professor at the National School of Computer Science in Algiers, as well as a TechWomen/TechGirls Club board member, Technovation judge and Microsoft Humans of IT community ambassador.
“I was invited to be the voice for girls and women, and speak about my experiences as a woman in STEM,” said Fatima. During the interview, she spoke about being raised in an underserved region in Algeria and the obstacles she overcame to both study and teach at top universities. She shared her experiences about being the only woman engineer on a male-dominated team, as well as her advice for women who are balancing work and family. Fatima also reflected on her TechWomen experience and how her time in Silicon Valley changed her mindset and renewed her passion for encouraging women and girls to be successful STEM.
Report Date...: 3/15/21
With award funds fellow plans to build STEM center for kids
Fellow(s): Rita Clemence Mutabazi
Country: Rwanda
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Last month, 2013 fellow Rita Clemence Mutabazi was named a winner of the Women in Science Award for her commitment to advancing science in Rwanda. Rita is the principal of IPRC Tumba, a polytechnic school specializing in IT, electronics, communication technology and green tech. Rita serves as the only woman principal among the greater consortium of polytechnic schools in Kigali.
The event was held on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and organized by The National Council for Science and Technology in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Rwanda Association for Women in Science and Engineering, and Next Einstein Forum. Rita was honored alongside four other women, and was given the Science Leadership Award in recognition of her dedication to promoting science among women and girls in Rwanda. Rita will use her award funds to help create a STEM makerspace at her former primary school, and has recruited the help of TechWomen fellows. Noella Nibakuze (2018), Zani Gichuki (2019) and Shakira Nyiratuza (2019), all of whom work at MASS Design Group, will lend their skills to help design a space that will have an electronics corner, biology corner and other STEM tools to inspire students. “This journey won’t be possible without TechWomen alumnae and all the girls who aspire to be engineers, scientists and technologists that have fueled my passion to do more,” said Rita.
Report Date...: 3/8/21
TechWomen/TechGirls Clubs host first cross-regional summit
Fellow(s): TechWomen/TechGirls Clubs
Country:
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, the TechWomen/TechGirls Clubs from the CSA and MENA regions convened for their first-ever Cross-Regional Summit, gathering online to network, share updates and support one another’s activities and initiatives. TechWomen/TechGirls Clubs provide a space for career counseling, mentoring, leadership development and more. Launched in 2018, the cross-program clubs expanded from seven program countries in MENA to include four countries in CSA.
Callie Ward, ECA’s youth programs branch chief, opened the day, speaking about the importance of engaging and empowering girls to create change in their communities. “You are moving forward, you are leading…I applaud all of your efforts. I want to thank you for everything I know you’ll do moving forward,” she said. 2013 TechWomen fellow of Lebanon Nisreen Deeb also delivered a keynote, emphasizing that, through communities like TechWomen/TechGirls, women and girls can foster innovation, entrepreneurship and community impact. “Keep supporting each other, keep empowering each other — because we need each other,” she said.
In breakout rooms themed on IT, tech business, engineering, and medical/ed/tech policy, TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae had an opportunity to talk about their work, share how they were celebrating International Women’s Day and give career support and advice.
Report Date...: 3/1/21
Mentor(s): Sreeja Nair (mentor)
Company: Qualcomm
Mentor Type: Professional
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
TechWomen mentor Sreeja Nair was invited this month to serve as a Hult Prize OnCampus virtual judge at the Heritage Institute of Technology in Kolkata, India. The Hult Prize is a startup accelerator that empowers social entrepreneurs at colleges and universities to solve the world’s most pressing issues; the final winning student team wins one million dollars in seed capital.
Joined by entrepreneurs across India, Sreeja judged 22 teams competing for the regional rounds. The student teams pitched solutions to this year’s theme of Food for Good, presenting their agricultural mobile apps, initiatives that introduce ethnic foods to a wider audience and more. “It was awe-inspiring to see the entrepreneurial spirit and passion that each of the teams brought to the table,” said Sreeja. “It was also heartening to see a lot of young women on the teams actively leading, pitching ,and answering questions confidently.” Since the event, many of the teams who were not sent to the final round have reached out to Sreeja to request mentorship and guidance. “This ethos of striving to bring change makes me believe that our future is really bright,” she said.
Report Date...: 2/22/21
Fellow is first Jordanian to be named 2021 Influential Leader
Fellow(s): Hiba Shabrouq
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2017 fellow Hiba Shabrouq was named a 2021 Influential Leader by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), an international association that brings together business, students and educators to amplify innovation and impact business education. The annual initiative recognizes leaders who are using their business education to create impact.
Hiba, the first Jordanian to be honored by AACSB, was nominated by Princess Sumaya University For Technology. She was highlighted in the “Diversity and Inclusion” category. In her feature, Hiba is recognized for co-founding Ozwah, a 2017 TechWomen seed grant-winning mentorship and training program for Jordanian girls in orphanages. She is also a financial skills mentor at INJAZ, a Jordanian nonprofit that trains young people with entrepreneurship and financial skills.
Report Date...: 2/22/21
Mentor(s): Sheryl Walton
Company: Autodesk
Mentor Type: Professional
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
TechWomen mentor Sheryl Walton shared her lessons on mentorship, diversity and the importance of cultural exchange in a recent interview hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The interview was a part of a month-long series in celebration of Black History Month that highlights women leaders sharing why diversity matters.
Sheryl, a senior manager for enterprise service desk and asset management at Autodesk, was interviewed by U.S. Department of State program manager Angela Woods and hosted on the Exchange Programs – U.S. Department of State Facebook page. During their conversation, Sheryl spoke about how she honors black history, and the importance of inclusion in the workplace: “The importance of us having a seat at the table is what is going to drive the success of technology,” she said. “It’s not going to happen by keeping us out.” Sheryl also spoke about serving as a TechWomen mentor and the lessons she’s learned along the way: “Be open, be honest, and bring another woman along with you during this journey,” she said. “I always try my best to send the elevator down to bring people back up.”
Report Date...: 2/15/21
Fellow authors post for UN Women’s Generation Equality
Fellow(s): Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2019 fellow Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova authored a post for UN Women’s Generation Equality campaign, writing about the challenges women and girls face and calling for greater awareness of gender issues among educators, media and leaders.
Kyzzhibek is the program director for the Kyrgyz Space Programme, an all-women team working to build Kyrgyzstan’s first nanosatellite. The core team is comprised of women ages 18-24, many of whom are not trained in STEM fields. Together, they are learning skills in robotics, 3D printing, engineering and satellite technology, innovating for their country and combatting stereotypes along the way.
In her post, Kyzzhibek writes that many expect their project to fail, just because of their gender: “The first element [for failure] for them is the presence of women and girls in the team,” she writes. As a response, Kyzzhibek and her team are motivated to fulfill their mission of educating women and girls in STEM while raising awareness about inequity. “The program has an amazing mission to empower girls and women in science and raise awareness about gender inequality and harmful social norms, which require systemic change,” she writes. “We want to show by our own example that girls are capable of anything, even reaching for the stars.”
Report Date...: 2/8/21
Fellow shares advice for women entrepreneurs in Jordan
Fellow(s): Reema Diab
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2019 fellow Reema Diab was featured in an “Ask Me Anything” session for women in technology, sharing her experience as an entrepreneur and answering questions on how to succeed as a woman in technology in Jordan. The event was organized by the Exchange Alumni team at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan as part of their monthly sessions that feature exchange program alumni.
Reema is the founder of Galaxy Organization for Technology, an IT non- profit that empowers women and youth with STEM skills. Their latest course for kids offers hands-on training in robotics, teaching them about Arduino technology and helping them build small robots controlled by phones via Bluetooth. At the online event, Reema spoke about what makes a successful entrepreneur, how new businesses can seek funding and how her participation in the TechWomen program helped build her entrepreneurial skills. She also shared the obstacles that women face as entrepreneurs, giving the audience advice on succeeding as a woman in technology. “It can be difficult as a woman trying to compete,” she said. “Unfortunately, women often are not confident or underestimate their skills. It’s important to find a support system and to find a mentor.” She encouraged women to find their passion and work hard on their skills by seeking out programs that support their goals. “The TechWomen program was life-changing. Gathering with like-minded women opened doors for me to be a leader,” she said.
Report Date...: 1/25/21
