Impact Stories from Empowering Women and Girls Policy Area

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.”
Read More »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.”
Read More »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.
Read More »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.
Read More »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.
Read More »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

Fellow joins board of Asian Credit Fund
Fellow(s): Sevara Siradjeva
Country: Uzbekistan
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow joins board of Asian Credit Fund
Fellow Sevara Siradjeva (Uzbekistan, 2016) has recently joined the board of the Asian Credit Fund (ACF). It is the third largest microfinance institution (MFI) lending to rural borrowers in the nation of Kazakhstan and boasts a portfolio of more than 60% women clients.
Sevara joins the board with over 12 years of experience in tech industry digitalization and product development. Throughout her career, she has expertly developed and launched tech products in global markets, including the U.S., the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Georgia and Uzbekistan.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Sevara has also served as a mentor for women and girls in STEM, particularly in her home region of Central Asia. She recently joined TechWomen on the spring 2023 delegation to Kazakhstan and intends to join the spring 2024 delegation to Tajikistan.
Report Date...: 02/12/2024

Fellow admitted to JAMII Femmes for entrepreneurs
Fellow(s): Imane Ben Khelifa
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow admitted to JAMII Femmes for entrepreneurs
Fellow Imane Ben Khelifa (Algeria, 2015) recently announced her admission to the 2023-2024 cohort of the prestigious JAMII Femmes program.
JAMII Femmes, a collaboration between the Women in Africa social impact initiative and the Coca Cola foundation, aims to develop 7,000 women entrepreneurs from Algeria, Egypt and South Africa through four key steps: a competitive selection process, three months of self-paced, online courses offered by the Honoris Academy and United Universities, a set of comprehensive exams to earn Certificates of Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and. finally, an immersive, in-person bootcamp. During this final step, they will engage with experts and mentors on workshops, projects, networking and competition with grants topping out at $10,000 USD.
“My journey from Techwomen alumna to being accepted into the JAMII Women program is a testament to the transformative power of mentorship, education, and perseverance,” Imane shared in recent communications.
Report Date...: 02/05/2024

Mentor(s): Reshma Singh
Company: Berkeley Lab
Mentor Type: Impact, Professional
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Mentor joins steering committee for FEED conference
Mentor Reshma Singh has recently joined the steering committee of the 2024 Forum on Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization (FEED), which will be hosted in New Delhi, India this February 28 and 29.
Presented by the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy, FEED allows stakeholders in India’s energy ecosystem to come together in alignment with the agenda of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and COP28.
Reshma is a leader and innovator in the clean technology sector with over 12 years of experience. She holds two clean technology patents, is a published author, and works as a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Office. As a program lead at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, she heads several tech-focused entrepreneurship initiatives including IMPEL, Cradle to Commerce, and the Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program (CS-WEL).
Read More »Report Date...: 01/22/2024

SP ‘22 Team Lebanon brings light to Lebanon with TAQA
Fellow(s): Dana Abdel Khalek, Diala Al Samarani, Ghiwa Haddad, Miriana Itani, Saria Cheaib and Zeina Farah
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Spring ‘22 Team Lebanon is bringing light to Lebanon with TAQA
Fellows Dana Abdel Khalek, Diala Al Samarani, Ghiwa Haddad, Miriana Itani, Saria Cheaib and Zeina Farah of Team Lebanon Spring 2022 have officially launched the first application cycle for TAQA, their seed grant-funded impact initiative that is working to provide renewable energy solution to family-owned businesses impacted by 2020 Port of Beirut explosion.
Benefactors of TAQA, funded by angel investors on a greatest-needs basis, will gain access to renewable energy from sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. This will allow them to continue running their businesses throughout the ongoing recovery of the national economy and power grid, which were devastated by the catastrophe that caused over 200 deaths, 7,000 injuries, 300,000 cases of homelessness and 15 billion dollars in property damage.
Report Date...: 01/15/2024