Impact Stories from Empowering Women and Girls Policy Area
Fellow(s): Elena Selezneva and Saida Yusupova
Country: Uzbekistan
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellow-founded NGO launches 2025 Technovation Girls
On February 18, Tech4Impact, founded and led by fellows Elena Selezneva and Saida Yusupova, (Uzbekistan, 2016) launched Technovation Girls Uzbekistan 2025 in partnership with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies and Yandex Uzbekistan. Now in its ninth season, the program continues to equip young girls with the skills to create tech-driven solutions and thrive in the digital economy.
The launch took place in Tashkent, with simultaneous gatherings in Andijan, Namangan, Nukus, Urgench, and Fergana, bringing together 1,500 girls and mentors from across the country. The program will match girls aged 8 to 18 with mentors from IT and business industries.
Fellow Samira Latipova (Uzbekistan, 2023) was among the event speakers, later sharing that “seeing so many ambitious minds eager to innovate was truly inspiring!”
Report Date...: 03/03/2025
Fellow(s): Asna Javed and Qurat Ul Ain Quraishi
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2019, 2024
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellows join forces on Women of Pakistan in STEM video
The Women of Pakistan (WOP) platform, co-founded by fellow Qurat Ul Ain Quraishi (Pakistan, 2024), recently featured fellow Asna Javed (Pakistan, 2019) in its WOP in STEM (Season II) video series. Asna, a Data & AI Technical Sales Specialist at IBM Pakistan, shared her journey of resilience, innovation, and success in the technology sector.
Born without arms, Asna adapted by learning to use her feet for daily tasks, later developing a passion for coding, problem-solving, and new technologies. Encouraged by her father to explore computers, she pursued a career in STEM, overcoming societal misconceptions about women’s technical abilities.
In the interview, Asna spoke about IBM’s supportive work environment and the broader opportunities for women in STEM, emphasizing their growing presence and impact in the field. “A lot of pioneers in STEM are women. The exposure in IT is unparalleled—every few months, something new emerges,” she shared. The video features photos from Asna’s service as a delegate on TechWomen’s 2023 trip to Cameroon, depicting her brainstorming sustainability ideas and mentoring youth in digital engagement.
This collaboration between TechWomen fellows highlights the program’s ongoing impact in fostering professional connections and amplifying the voices of pioneers in STEM.
Report Date...: 02/24/2025
Mentor(s): Sandy Chen
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Mentor Recognized with the Brooke Eby Impact Award
Mentor Sandy Chen, Solution Engineering Senior Manager at Salesforce, was recently honored with the inaugural Brooke Eby Impact Award during her company’s annual kickoff event. The award recognizes her dedication to empowering women in STEM, particularly through her volunteer work as a mentor with TechWomen.
“The work I do through Techwomen allows me to ‘fill my cup’ so to speak, by seeing direct impact” Sandy shares. “My engagement with these very inspiring women encourages me to be a better leader in my every day job.”
As part of the award, Salesforce is making a $10,000 donation to ALS ONE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research and care ALS, a condition Brooke Eby was diagnosed with in 2022.
Report Date...: 02/24/2025
Fellow(s): Ines Umuhoza
Country: Rwanda
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellows speak at GIZ Rwanda Fast Project launch
Fellow Ines Umuhoza (Rwanda, 2022), a Gender Data & Intersectionality Advisor and Chair of the National Staff Representative Committee for GIZ Rwanda, recently participated as a panelist at the launch of the GIZ Rwanda FAST (Feminism in Action for Structural Transformation) Project.
The GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) office for Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union, and other commissioning authorities. During the panel discussion, Ines shared insights on how data and policies can be harnessed to achieve these goals, highlighting the importance of inclusive and intersectional approaches in policy-making.
Ines’s journey with TechWomen began 10 years ago when fellows Rita Mutabazi, Winnie Ngamije, Emma Marie Ndoringoma and Enatha Mukantwari from the first Rwandan TechWomen cohort (2013) started a mentorship program for girls in STEM at her high school. “I was among them,” Ines shared. “Eight years later, I became a TechWomen alumna as well. Today, I got to share the stage with my mentor Rita Mutabazi, not as a mentee but as a fellow tech expert.”
Report Date...: 01/27/2025
Fellow(s): (Mentors) Jessica Dickinson Goodman and Zoe borden, and (fellows) Assiatu Jalloh, Mavzuna Abdurakhmanova, Faith Mpara, Meriem Touami, Selma Ndi and Qurat Ul Ain Quraishi
Country: Algeria, Cameroon, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, United States
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Mentor and Alumnae deliver Ignite Talks on Tech Diplomacy with Georgetown University Digital Tech Forum
Hosted by the Georgetown University Digital Technology Forum, six fellows and two mentors delivered Ignite Talks on Tech Diplomacy on October 22, 2024 to an audience of graduate students, staff, foreign service personnel and other members of the broader Georgetown community. Organized and moderated by mentor Jessica Dickinson Goodman, with opening remarks from mentor Zoe Borden, the talks featured fellows Assiatu Jalloh (Sierra Leone, 2016), Mavzuna Abdurakhmanova (Tajikistan, 2017), Faith Mpara (Cameroon, 2017), Meriem Touami (Algeria, 2017), Selma Ndi (Cameroon, 2022), and Qurat Ul Ain Quraishi (Pakistan, 2024). Together, they covered topics including AI in education and government, women’s empowerment, diversity and inclusion, internet infrastructure, bridging binational connections and the importance of exchange programs like TechWomen.
“It was a powerful example of how deep, wide and strong the TechWomen network is,” said Jessica, who is pursuing both an MS in Foreign Service and an MA in Global, International and Comparative History at Georgetown University, where she hopes to continue to collaborate to host with TechWomen alumnae and mentors.
Report Date...: 11/25/2025
Fellow(s): Busayo Durojaiye, Dorothée Danedjo Fouba, and Faten Khalfallah Hamouda
Country: Cameroon, Nigeria, Tunisia
Cohort: 2014, 2015
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Three fellows tapped for inaugural cohort of IIE’s GCWL
Fellows Busayo Durojaiye (Nigeria, 2014), Dorothée Danedjo Fouba (Cameroon, 2015), and Faten Khalfallah Hamouda (Tunisia, 2014) have been named inaugural members of the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Global Community for Women’s Leadership (GCWL).
This groundbreaking initiative connects alumnae from over 200 IIE-administered exchange programs to empower and equip women worldwide with the resources, mentorship, and skills they need to advance and thrive in leadership roles. Launched in response to global challenges in gender parity, GCWL serves as a critical step toward closing the leadership gap.
Representing 30 countries and a wide range of professional fields, GCWL members will participate in leadership development tailored to their career paths while building connections through networking and mentorship activities.
Report Date...: 11/25/2024
Fellow(s): Nezha Larhrissi
Country: Morocco
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow launches Titrit Girls Collaborative Council with Social Innovation Lab for TechGirls, Technovation & Digigirlz alum
Youth digital skills development initiative eSTEM Morocco, led by fellow Nezha Larhrissi (Morocco, 2013), recently launched the Titrit Girls Collaborative Council at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in partnership with the Social Innovation Lab (SIL) ahead of the International Day of the Girl on October 11, 2024.
Convening 17 girls from diverse regions across Morocco, the council aims to galvanize alumnae from STEM programs including TechGirls, Technovation Girls and Digigirlz to design the structure and objectives of the Titrit Girls Collaborative Council in preparation for an upcoming eSTEAM Festival. Under the mentorship of eSTEMorocco and SIL, invitees took part in a two-day event designed to enhance their leadership skills and establish regional action plans as part of eSTEM Morocco’s “vision of digitally including 50,000 girls from disadvantaged backgrounds by 2025.”
Ideated and established by TechWomen’s seed-grant winning Team Morocco in 2013, eSTEM Morocco, has since earned international recognition and support, including the United Nations Foundation’s Global Citizen Education Award and an Aspen Digital Equity Accelerator placement. During the 2023 TechWomen Delegation to Morocco, eSTEM Morocco launched the Titrit digital platform, which provides training, mentorship, and networking opportunities for girls across Morocco.
Nezha will give a pitch focused on Digital Access to the Titrit App at the Alumnae Summit in Morocco this December.
Report Date...: 11/04/2024
Fellow(s): Ebenezer Ajah Chris, Rumana Kabir, and Stella Uzochukwu-Denis
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2019, 2023
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellows serve as Every Girl 2.0 Program Mentors in Nigeria
As part of the Every Girl 2.0 Program, supported by the Khalil Suleiman Halilu Foundation in partnership with USAID, fellows Ebenezer Ajah Chris (Nigeria, 2023), Rumana Kabir (Nigeria, 2023) and Stella Uzochukwu-Denis (Nigeria, 2019) recently served in a three-month mentorship program dedicated to guiding young women in tech career development, goal setting and personal growth.
The program provided training in foundational tech skills, internet literacy, and digital careers for young women aged 14-21 from underserved communities across Nigeria. Learning topics included an introduction to internet technology, digital communication tools, cybersecurity Awareness and online safety.
“Special thanks also to the TechWomen community and U.S. Embassy in Nigeria,” Ebenzer recently shared, “for inspiring Techwomen alumnae like myself to lead, give back and empower others.”
Report Date...: 10/28/2024
Fellow(s): (fellows) Aliaa Ahmed, Ainura Sagyn, Binta Moustapha, Ouafa Belgacem, Sabina Nforba, and Tofara Chekera, and (mentors) Katie Penn and Queen Denchukwu
Country: Cameroon, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Tunisia, United States, Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2014, 2017, 2020-2021, 2022, 2023
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Fellows & Mentors play key roles in opening weeks of 79th UN General Assembly
Fellows Aliaa Ahmed (Egypt, 2022), Ainura Sagyn (Kyrgyzstan, 2017), Binta Moustapha (Nigeria, 2014), Ouafa Belgacem (Tunisia, 2023), Sabina Nforba (Cameroon, 2020-2021) and Tofara Chekera (Zimbabwe, 2022), and Mentors Katie Penn and Queen Denchukwu reportedly participated in various capacities at the opening weeks of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.
Several Fellows took on leadership and speaking roles. At the UN Summit of the Future, Tofara, Founder of Tofara Online Trust, took the stage to deliver a speech on “how embracing the digital world unlocks a future filled with endless opportunities.” Similarly, Aliaa, Director of Foreign Relations and Policy Affairs at the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), participated in an open dialogue on transforming global governance and promoting the implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development at the Summit of the Future. There, she underscored the EFB’s efforts to empower youth through development initiatives aimed at tackling food security challenges. Binta, Founder of youth training initiative Cabinet Hub Zinder and STEM education program Elmira Schools, was invited to speak at the Intergenerational Partnerships for Just Climate Transition and Digital Futures workshop, a part of the UN Summit of the Future organized by UN University-IIGH at Columbia University.
Meanwhile, Sabina hosted and launched a groundbreaking policy brief on Artificial Intelligence for Youth Sustainable Development in Africa, which she called her “legacy as the Digital Innovation Lead at the African Union.” This brief, developed by the Office of the AU Chairperson’s Youth Envoy in collaboration with the UN Global Compact & African Export-Import Bank, shares lessons Sabina learned through the Make Africa Digital initiative which she coordinated and led for the past two years.
Report Date...: 09/30/2024
Fellow(s): Natalya Klimenko
Country: Uzbekistan
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow Launches StartCamp for Women Entrepreneurs
Fellow Natalya Klimenko (Uzbekistan, 2018), founder of the online learning platform Stemio, has co-launched StartCamp, a transformative program designed to accelerate the growth of women-led businesses. After three months of preparation, StartCamp recently held its Orientation Day in Tashkent, officially welcoming 19 remarkable women entrepreneurs. Over the next eight weeks, these businesses will undergo intensive training focused on sales, marketing, and achieving measurable results.
The program includes twice-weekly mentorship sessions and workshops, along with traction meetings to track progress. Participants will have access to valuable networking opportunities with industry experts and potential investors, helping them refine their strategies and build effective sales funnels. With guidance from StartCamp’s expert team, the goal is to help these startups secure their first sales, grow their client base, and prepare for future investment opportunities.
Klimenko emphasized the excitement surrounding the program’s potential, writing “I’m very proud of everyone and looking forward to what’s ahead. The best part? We’re just getting started!”
StartCamp is supported by a range of partners, including UNDP Uzbekistan, U-ENTER Innovation Center, Uzum, Dodo Pizza, and weproject.media C-space, all dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial success in the region.
Report Date...: 09/23/2024
