Impact Stories from Empowering Women and Girls Policy Area

Fellow featured in BBC Africa article as satellite work pioneer

Fellow(s): Marie Makuate

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Public Health, Youth Engagement

Report Date...: 04/15/2024

Fellow wins Tech Award for Muslim Women in Business

Fellow(s): Sheikha Dhiyebi

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow Sheikha Dhiyebi (Kenya, 2023) recently won the Muslim Women in Business Award for Women in Technology, in an annual event hosted by the Muslim Media Company on March 8, International Women’s Day. “Gratitude fills my heart for this recognition,” Sheikha shared in a recent post. She is the founder of Web Solutions Kenya, a full-service web design company based in Mombasa that specializes in website design, development and marketing.

Report Date...: 04/08/2024

Fellow interviewed on MTV Lebanon’s “Digital World” show

Fellow(s): Dana Abdel Khalek

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability

Fellow Dana Abdel Khalek (Lebanon, 2022) was recently interviewed on MTV Lebanon’s “Digital World” with Jessy Tannous in an episode entitled “Dana Abdel Khalek: Supporting the Role of Women Technologically.” There she discussed the critical role of women in technology and the initiatives working to support them in Lebanon, including TechWomen, TechGirls, and most recently, her team’s seed grant-winning impact project, TAQA, which is working to provide renewable energy solutions to women-led family-owned businesses impacted by the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion. Throughout the 15-minute segment, Dana shared her Techwomen journey, from the selection process to her experiences in Silicon Valley, including the measurable skills she developed during her mentorship at LinkedIn that proved instrumental in helping her contribute to the successful development of her team’s TAQA project. She also spoke of how program alumnae utilize social media platforms to amplify awareness of these programs and engage “eligible women and rising talents” in these opportunities. “Reflecting on this journey, it’s clear that initiatives supporting women in technology play a pivotal role in bridging the gender gap,” she expressed in a reflection on the interview. “By fostering mentorship, collaboration, and social media outreach, we empower women to excel in STEM and drive positive change in their communities. As I continue this journey of empowerment and advocacy, I’m committed to ensuring that opportunities like TechWomen and TechGirls reach and benefit women in Lebanon and beyond.”

Report Date...: 04/01/2024

Mentor(s): Patricia Flores

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development

Mentor Patricia Flores was recently honored in Negocios Now’s 40 Latinos Under 40 Chicago list for her extensive professional and service record. She is recognized for having launched Guías, a platform connecting customers to lifestyle coaches founded in 2021 which is noted for its emphasis on transparency, customer reviews and data analytics. She has also earned two grants and secured the rank of finalist for the Female Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition powered by TechRise and Chicago Innovation. She also serves on the Chicago Board of Latinas in Tech as Partner Lead, expanding awareness and access to professional development resources for members of the Latina community. Moreover, she is recognized for her service as a TechWomen mentor with the inaugural 2023 Chicago cohort, as well as a delegate on the spring 2024 journey to Cameroon, where she co-led STEM workshops, talks and networking events.

Report Date...: 04/01/2024

a woman-led nonprofit advancing equity for women and girls in Libya

Fellow(s): Tamadhur Abukhamadah Almahdi, Esra Alamami, Noran Buzgaia

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2022, 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Public Health

Fellow Tamadhur Abukhamadah Almahdi (Libya, 2022) recently founded Women for Women LY, a woman-led nonprofit organization working to advance equity for women and girls in Libya through advocacy, action and connection. Since its establishment in late 2023, Women for Women LY has held a series of in-person and online events focused on bringing women and girls together to share and explore topics such as entrepreneurship, data science, operations management, programming, teaching, career journeys and mental well-being. Tamadhur has leveraged her connections with the TechWomen alumnae community in growing Women for Women LY, featuring fellows Ibtihal Elshami (Libya, 2020-2021) and Esra Alamami (Libya, 2022) in her International Day of Women and Girls in Science panel discussion, as well as Noran Buzgaia (Libya, 2023) as a guest speaker in her International Women’s Day event. “I decided to start Women for Women LY because I’m a firm believer in the power of community, mentorship and connection,” Tamadhur shared in a recent post. “The possibilities are endless; the future we dream of could become our reality, our hard-earned lessons could serve as a guiding compass for the younger generation of women and girls, and what we can bring to our community and the world is a lot more significant than our individual contributions.”

Report Date...: 3/11/2024

Fellows speak at “Be Woman” Central Asian Forum

Fellow(s): Darika Aldasheva, Zharkyn Chsheglova

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellows Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) and Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) both recently served as guest speakers at the at the first Central Asian Women’s Forum: Be Woman, held on March 5 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Convening experts in many fields, including business, government, media and education, Be Woman provided a platform for women to share and inspire growth-minded engagement in the economy, business and culture of Central Asia and beyond. Darika and Zharkyn spoke on the panel discussion, “Women in IT: the path to a digital future.” “Despite our diverse backgrounds, ” Zharkyn shared, “we empowered each other for success and forged a resilient network — a force that is both invisible and profoundly influential.”

Report Date...: 3/11/2024

Alumnae & Mentors host Tech Community Impact Week in Abuja to honor International Women’s Day

Fellow(s): Binta Moustapha, Fatima Abdulaziz Sule, Flora Asibe, and Rumana Kabir, Kathy Giori, Katy Dickinson

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020-2021, 2022, 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement

Collaborating with a variety of governmental organizations, NGOs, educational institutions, non-profits and startups, Nigerian fellow Binta Moustapha (Nigeria, 2014) led the organization of fellows Rumana Kabir (Nigeria, 2023), Fatima Abdulaziz Sule (Nigeria, 2018), Ebenezer Ajah Chris (Nigeria 2023), Tolulope Erinosho (Nigeria, 2022), Flora Asibe Ohazurike (Nigeria 2021), Stella Uzochukwu (Nigeria, 2019), and Carolyn Seaman (Nigeria 2015), alongside mentors Kathy Giori and Katy Dickinson, to bring Tech Community Impact Week to Nigeria from March 2 to 9, 2024. With the aim of providing activities, discussions and networking opportunities for anyone from novice to established leader in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,the dynamic lineup of events included panel discussions, speed mentoring, physical computing workshops, and courtesy visits to schools, universities, and influential organizations and companies, mainly aimed at uplifting and empowering women and girls in tech. Highlights of the week included an opening event at Baze University Jabi Abuja with akeynote address delivered by Katy and a design-thinking workshop led by Kathy, a local celebrity panel discussion moderated by Kathy at Cosmopolitan University Abuja, a panel discussion featuring Flora, Fatima and Katy, speed mentoring with Katy and Rumana, and several hands-on physical computing workshops and demonstrations at three local schools and the FabLab in Abuja led by Kathy with fellows acting as teaching assistants. Partners and sponsors of Tech Community Impact Week included 100 Women in Tech Nigeria, Bridge 4 Innovation, Climate KIC, Creeds Energy, Developers FabLab, ECOWAS Liaison Lead, FCT College of Education Zuba, Mentoring Standard, MicroBlocks, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria, Office of the Director of ICT Federal Ministry of Education Abuja Nigeria, She&Tech, SheTechAfrica, Wademos Regional Advocacy, and Young Scholars Initiative of the Institute of New Economic Thinking (YSI INET). Events coincided with the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. Mentor Jessica Dickinson Goodman and fellow Eyitayo Alimi (Nigeria, 2019) supported as co-organizers remotely.

Report Date...: 3/04/24

Fellow paper studies climate change and vector illnesses

Fellow(s): Angella M. George

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls

Angella recently published a scientific paper on the global spread of vector-borne illnesses as a consequence of climate change.

Fellow Angella M. George (Sierra Leone) recently co-published a scientific paper entitled “Climate change and the rising incidence of vector-borne diseases globally,” in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. In the paper, Angella and her colleagues examine the geographical expansion of Aedes, Culex and Anopheles mosquitos as a consequence of increasing global heat waves and flooding due to climate change. This has resulted in an unprecedented spread beyond typical climate zones in dangerous mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as dengue, malaria, chikungunya, yellow fever, rift valley fever, West Nile fever, Japanese encephalitis and the Zika virus. The paper also discusses advances and blocks in mitigation efforts and future steps needed. Angella is a lecturer at Njala University who earned her Ph.D. in Public Health this January.

Report Date...: 02/19/2024

Mentor(s): Paria Rajai

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development

Paria recently co-authored an article on building an intersectional approach to talent management for the Harvard Business Review.

Mentor Paria Rajai, founder of inclusive workplace strategy firm ModelExpand, recently co-authored the article, “How to Build an Intersectional Approach to Talent Management,” for the Harvard Business Review. The article offers an intersectional perspective on the process of talent management, providing real-life applications for applying knowledge into practice, including tried and true examples from some of the world’s leading organizations. “Those of us in the trenches of organizational work understand the indelible importance of inclusive principles in shaping effective talent acquisition and retention strategies for today’s workforce,” Paria expressed in a recent post.

Report Date...: 02/19/2024

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria

Fellow(s): Ahlem Benazzouz

Country: Algeria

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria 

Inspired by her TechWomen program mentors and learnings, fellow Ahlem Benazzouz (Algeria, 2022) has introduced, EcoBioMedTechMakers, an electronic waste upcycling innovation project to her students and colleagues at the University of Science and Technology Mohamed Boudiaf in Oran, Algeria, where she works as a research assistant professor while earning her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

The project emerged from a dual commitment to sustainable technology development and the promotion of women in STEM, Ahlem shares. She integrates physical computing into her curriculum using micro:bit technology introduced by mentors Kathy Giori and Meg Gordon. Components are salvaged from e-waste, such as circuit boards, resistors, capacitors and LEDs to create STEM education kits. The kits are instrumental in designing experiments that teach electronics and coding concepts. Moreover, she is actively encouraging students to embark on sustainable projects and startups, considering both environmental and socioeconomic impacts to generate lasting positive outcomes.

“The results have been promising, with increased enthusiasm and participation from our female students,” Ahlem shared in recent communications. “The real-world applications of physical computing and coding have bridged the gap between theory and practice, fostering creativity, critical thinking and practical skills development.” Ahlem further shares that she is collaborating with a team of research professors to elevate the project to the next level. “Techwomen is really the beginning of a new journey.”

Report Date...: 02/12/2024

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