Impact Stories from Empowering Women and Girls Policy Area

Fellow discusses TechWomen on Reality Cheque podcast

Fellow(s): Roshaan [Saeed] Sheikh (Pakistan, 2022)

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2022

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

Roshaan discussed her career journey, opportunities for startups, and tips for acing the TechWomen application during her 45-minute interview with the Reality Cheque podcast.

Fellow Roshaan [Saeed] Sheikh (Pakistan, 2022) was recently interviewed as a guest speaker on the podcast, “Reality Cheque.” In the 45-minute episode, entitled “The Future of UX & UI Designers, Artificial Intelligence and Workplace Harassment,” Roshaan shares her journey starting out as a freelancer and blogger in user interface and experience design, going on to roles with larger companies like Affinity and Al-Jazeera, and most recently founding her own startup, STIPPPLE, an online marketplace for freelance designers. She also expounds upon the TechWomen application process, the complexity of the venture capital sector and startup opportunities based on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To close, she highlights workplace issues, such as harassment, and the importance of knowing your laws and rights.

Report Date...: 07/17/2023

Fellow(s): Baratang Miya (South Africa, 2015)

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2015

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

Baratang, co-founder of GirlHype Women Who Code, was recently interviewed by world-renowned Ebony magazine on her journey to bridge the digital divide in South Africa.

Fellow Baratang Miya (South Africa, 2015), co-founder of GirlHype Women Who Code, was recently interviewed by Ebony magazine to discuss her entrepreneurship journey and efforts to overcome the digital divide for women in her home country. EBONY magazine, founded in 1945, is one of the premier international magazines dedicated to spotlighting the brightest among people of African-descent. GirlHype is a registered nonprofit organization that has trained more than one million women and girls in coding. “I started working on GirlHype 20 years ago before there was social media presence and platforms like Facebook,” Baratang shared. “For me, it was more about making sure that women and girls have access to opportunities.” Baratang is a leader in her tech community, often serving as a speaker, writer and advisor for publications and events. She is also the founder of Women Tech Policy Hub (WTPH), which teaches policy entrepreneurship to leading women in STEM.

Report Date...: 07/10/2023

Fellow helps launch Central Asian mentoring program

Fellow(s): Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022)

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

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

Darika spoke at Kurak Women’s Forum’s recent launch of a groundbreaking pan-Central Asian entrepreneurial mentoring program for women in the clothing industry.

Fellow Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022), recently participated in the launch a first-of-its-kind pan-Central Asian entrepreneurial mentoring program for women in the garment industry. This is an initiative of the Kurak Women’s Forum NGO (Kurak), where Darika serves as a board member, with the support of the USAID Trade Program in Central Asia and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic. Darika will serve as both a mentor and coach for the initiative, which features entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia working alongside coaches from Europe and the U.S. “By supporting and inspiring women in business, we believe that we create a positive effect for society as a whole,” Darika wrote in a recent post. “A happy woman with burning eyes can work wonders.”

Report Date...: 07/10/2023

Fellow-founded incubator joins AfriLabs network

Fellow(s): Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia, 2022)

Country:

Cohort: 2022

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

Ichraf’s incubator, Hive 12, has recently partnered with AfriLabs along with 19 other tech and innovation hubs on the African continent.

Hive 12, a multi-faceted incubator founded by fellow Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia, 2022), has recently entered into a partnership with AfriLabs, one of Africa’s leading networks of technology and innovation hubs. In a milestone expansion event, Hive 12 represented one of 19 new hubs from Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe to join the AfriLabs network this spring. “This partnership marks the first step towards developing African markets for our startups, creating opportunities for both parties, and expanding our network,” Ichraf shared in a recent post. Hive12 operates as not only an incubator, but also a co-working space and consulting practice with the recent addition of a research and development department all to serve early-stage startups for women and youth.

Report Date...: 07/10/2023

TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae meet A/S Satterfield

Fellow(s): TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae meet A/S Satterfield

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2019

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

Seven TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae from Jordan recently took part in a fireside chat with Assistant Secretary of the ECA Lee Satterfield at the U.S. Embassy in Amman. The purpose of the event was for A/S Satterfield to learn more about how these exchange programs have influenced the fellows’ lives and ability to affect local impact. “The session was full of inspiration,” said fellow Esra’a Elsanie (2019), “from hearing the ladies’ stories to feeling the attention that A/S Satterfield is giving to these programs. I really felt empowered that there’s someone in such a position who cares to hear our story and understand our journeys.” As a cornerstone of her visit, A/S Satterfield also delivered remarks at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Jordanian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (JACEE), also known as the Jordan Fulbright Commission.

Report Date...: 06/26/2023

Fellow speaks at water and sanitation conference

Fellow(s): Sylvia Nyaga (Kenya, 2022)

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow speaks at water and sanitation conference

Fellow Sylvia Nyaga (Kenya, 2022) led a session entitled, “Gender and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) financing: Overcoming challenges faced by women-led SMEs (small and midsized enterprises)” at the National Conference on Bankability and Blended financing for SMEs and WASH initiatives, held in Nairobi this spring. “Billions of people worldwide, including 1 billion people with #disabilities, still live without safely managed drinking water, safely managed sanitation and basic hygiene services,” Sylvia wrote in a recent post. “The financing of water and sanitation infrastructure projects in emerging markets is at the heart of this global challenge.” Sylvia is the founder of Syna Consultancy, a social enterprise dedicated to providing safe, inclusive and dignified sanitation experiences, with a focus on elderly, sick, and mobility-impaired individuals. Through Syna, she has developed the UTULAV toilet, an accessible and portable device for the physically challenged.

Report Date...: 06/19/2023

will travel to U.S. for whirlwind visit to NASA and more

Fellow(s): Dania Maraqah (Palestinian Territories, 2022)

Country: Palestinian Territories

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow mentors winning high school team in Tech-Talent 2023, will travel to U.S. for whirlwind visit to NASA and more

Fellow and physics teacher Dania Maraqah (Palestinian Territories, 2022) recently mentored a winning team in the Tech-Talent 2023 Grand Finale, a science and entrepreneurship competition for high school students in Gaza and the West Bank. As the supervising teacher, Dania and her team, along with 11 other teams selected from hundreds of students, have won the opportunity to experience a 10-day trip to the U.S. to visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the University of South Florida College of Marine Sciences and the Imagineers at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The Tech-Talent program, created by Al-Nayzak (the Meteor Foundation), offers the opportunity for Palestinian high school students to innovate and present unique STEM projects intended for real-world applications. The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs partners with the Meteor Foundation to help sponsor this event. “As an alumna of TechWomen 2022 Fall,” Dania shared in a recent post, “I am truly grateful for the profound impact the TechWomen program has had on my life, inspiring me to step up and become a mentor for a team of incredible girls in the tech-talent contest.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow(s): Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018)

Country: Turkmenistan

Cohort: 2018

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

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018) was featured in a recent article for her role in the success of Technovation Girls Turkmenistan as their Regional Ambassador. The story covers the program’s second year in the country, during which participants engaged in 12 weeks of training and project development that included market research, application buildout and video production. The Regional Pitch Day, held at Ashgabat International School, was attended by U.S. Ambassador Matthew Klimow and resulted in four teams, double over the year prior, being selected for the world finals. Finalists, to be announced June 30, will attend the World Summit in Silicon Valley this October. “Technovation is not just a competition,” Maral shared. “There are no winners and losers. All participants are part of a global community of like-minded people striving to change the world for the better.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Mentor-conceived Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program launches at Berkeley National Lab

Fellow(s): Mentor Reshma Singh

Country:

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

Mentor-conceived Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program launches at Berkeley National Lab

Mentor Reshma Singh recently took part in the formal launch of the Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program (CS-WEL) as part of the Net Zero World (NZW) Initiative. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where Reshma works as a Senior Advisor and Program Director, the new initiative serves to empower women leaders in the energy sector from partner countries through intensive training, peer learning and ongoing coaching and mentoring. The launch included leaders from seven countries, including India, for which Reshma serves as the Country Co-Coordinator for the NZW. The NZW initiative was launched in 2021 by DOE Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, with the aim of transitioning to net zero energy systems across multiple sectors, including transportation, industry, buildings, carbon capture and geologic storage, energy storage and the power grid. Berkeley Lab contributes leadership and technical expertise in the recently established NZW Action Center, which is part of a network that promotes global net zero emission energy systems that are inclusive, equitable and resilient.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

Fellow speaks at Africa Energies Summit in London

Fellow(s): Sondos Samara (Jordan, 2018)

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2018

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

Fellow speaks at Africa Energies Summit in London

Fellow Sondos Samara (Jordan, 2018) recently met with U.S. First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, during a USAID event organized with the U.S. Embassy of Jordan in Amman. Sondos Samara was one of four women entrepreneurs currently receiving USAID Business Growth Activity (BGA) support who were invited to the event, where they had the opportunity to discuss their businesses and the contributions that they are making to their sectors. The USAID BGA is a five-year project implemented by Financial Markets International that provides technical and financial support to qualifying small and medium enterprises in Jordan. Sondos is a quality manager at the Environmental Laboratory for Microbiological and Chemical Analysis in Jordan and the founder of Sanadyme, a medtech social entrepreneurship startup.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

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