Impact Stories from Professional Growth Policy Area
Fellow advocates for digital rights at inclusion forum
Fellow(s): Sophie Ngassa
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2014 fellow Sophie Ngassa led a session on internet advocacy at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum held last month in Lagos, Nigeria. The event, now in its seventh year, was attended by policymakers, legal experts and tech professionals who came together to discuss digital policy on the African continent.
Sophie is a civil engineer, STEM advocate and founder of the Center for Youth Education and Economic Development, a digital empowerment training center for youth in Cameroon. After two recent internet shutdowns in the northwest and southwest regions of the country, Sophie began more meaningfully advocating for internet rights in Africa, engaging government officials and stakeholders to address internet connectivity and the crises that arise from blocked communication.
At the forum, Sophie led a discussion and panel titled “Advocating in War Zones and Shrinking Civic Spaces,” where she spoke about the importance of open internet and the role advocacy coalitions can play in ensuring internet freedom. Alongside two panelists, Sophie spoke about creating an internet without borders, sharing best practices on empowering both civilians and policymakers to work towards a more open, safe and accessible internet for all.
Report Date...: 5/13/19
Fellow launches SingularityU Chapter in Quetta
Fellow(s): Ayesha Abdul Majeed
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This month, 2018 fellow Ayesha Abdul Majeed spearheaded the launch of a new SingularityU Chapter in Quetta, Pakistan. Through their 142 Chapters, Singularity University facilitates local innovation and focuses on solving global challenges. Ayesha, who was hosted at Singularity University for her TechWomen mentorship, spoke about her goal of opening a chapter in her own communtiy in week three of the 2018 fall program.
Ayesha will serve as the SingularityU Ambassador, bringing innovative programming to students, entrepreneurs and tech professionals. In collaboration with National Incubation Center, the region’s first business incubator, the Quetta Chapter will prepare local entrepreneurs to build high-growth and sustainable startups. “We hope to tackle problems and support our community using exponential learning tools,” says Ayesha. “We plan to make a global impact by taking local innovations internationally.”
Report Date...: 5/13/19
Fellow shares expertise with King Abdullah II of Jordan
Fellow(s): Hiba Shabrouq
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Last week, 2017 fellow Hiba Shabrouq was invited by King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah of Jordan to share her expertise on the leading issues facing Jordan. Alongside a group of distinguished young professionals, Hiba discussed politics, economics, technology and entrepreneurship at King Abullah’s palace, offering her input on solutions to Jordan’s challenges.
Hiba is part of TechWomen seed grant-winning team Ozwah, an initiative that educates and empowers female orphans through training and workshops. At the meeting, Hiba spoke about Ozwah’s mission to address Jordan’s education gap through hosting intensive STEM workshops and capacity building trainings for the country’s young girls.
Report Date...: 5/13/19
Fellows organize Central Asia’s first JavaScript Conference
Fellow(s): Ainura Sagyn, Veronika Iurchenko, Saltanat Alieva, Natalia Molchanova
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2016, 2017, 2018
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth
Last week, 2017 fellow Ainura Sagyn and 2016 fellows Veronika Iurchenko and Saltanat Alieva organized Central Asia’s first-ever JavaScript conference, held in Bishkek. The event, JS Central Asia, received support from the U.S. Government Exchange Alumni Small Grants Program provided by U.S. Embassy Bishkek, as well as the American Councils for International Education Kyrgyzstan. The one-day gathering was attended by 350 people and included keynote speakers who traveled from the UK and Ukraine to share their expertise.
With an emphasis on highlighting accessibility and inclusion in IT, the event was an opportunity for attendees to hear the newest JavaScript technologies and network with other developers. U.S. Ambassador Donald Lu opened the day, speaking about Kyrgyzstan’s growing IT community and new opportunities for women in the local tech space. The rest of the program comprised workshops, concurrent sessions and keynotes, including a presentation from 2018 fellow and a full stack JavaScript developer Natalia Molchanova.
Leading up to the conference, the fellows were guests on local television programs, participating in panels and interviews to speak about their work, their TechWomen experience and the upcoming event.
Report Date...: 5/6/19
Fellow’s team wins third place at Hackathon for Social Good
Fellow(s): Yamama Shaka’a
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Growth
2016 fellow of the West Bank Yamama Shaka’a co-mentored a team that won third place at NYU Abu Dhabi’s 8th annual Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World. The three-day programming marathon brought together students, startup founders and tech professionals with a goal of promoting the use of technology for social good. Together, the teams developed innovative apps to address a problem facing the Arab world, culminating in pitching their ideas to a panel of judges.
Yamama, a teaching assistant, lab instructor and Mozilla Tech Speaker co-led a team that created Helping Hands, an app that coordinates donations in times of crisis. Through the app’s portal, international donors can connect to local charities,who are able to provide additional information and list specific community needs and resources.
Report Date...: 5/6/19
Fellow presents at gender equality conference
Fellow(s): Samia Elhanchi
Country: Morocco
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Professional Growth
This week, 2017 fellow Samia Elhanchi was invited to speak at the Day of Reflection about Gender Equality, a gathering hosted by the Mediterranean Network of Engineering Schools that focused on gender inclusivity in engineering fields. Samia, an engineer and project and portfolio manager at Orange Maroc, presented on how fostering networks of women can help close the gender gap and increase women’s success within STEM fields.
In addition to speaking about her own experience as a woman engineer, Samia used the TechWomen Year 7 Evaluation Report to share data on programs that foster networks of women professionals and contribute to reducing the gender gap in STEM fields. She also shared her experience as the president of EMI Women’s Club, a women’s group and mentorship program that works towards economic empowerment for women in engineering fields.
Report Date...: 5/6/19
TechWomen alumnae collaborate with TechGirls for STEM event
Fellow(s): Nisreen Deeb
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2013 fellow Nisreen Deeb collaborated with TechWomen and TechGirls alumnae for an event aimed at educating and inspiring girls interested in STEM fields. Nisreen is the co-founder of Girls Got IT, an initiative that exposes girls aged 15-17 to STEM through interactive workshops on robotics, 3D printing, website design, game development and more.
The Girls Got IT event, supported by UNICEF Lebanon, was attended by 600 public and private school girls from throughout the country. The day featured inspirational keynotes, group sessions and 25 workshops led by local startup companies. 2018 seed grant-winning team My ioLab participated in the event, hosting a workshop on IoT and innovation.
As part of a broader effort to unite alumnae of TechWomen and TechGirls – an ECA program aiming to inspire teenaged girls to further pursue STEM – three TechGirls alumnae participated as volunteers, supporting Girls Got IT with logistics, registration and workshop facilitation. “I love TechGirls and their passion, and I always try to include them in our events” says Nisreen. The day was Girls Got IT’s biggest event to date; moving forward, Nisreen hopes to include as many girls as possible, contributing to their mission of ensuring that no girl is left behind.
Report Date...: 4/29/49
Fellow’s team wins Judge’s Award at robotics competition
Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2015 fellow Faten Khalfallah and her team of high school students won the Judge’s Award at the 2019 VEX Robotics World Championship High School Division, held this week in Louisville, Kentucky. Faten is the regional project manager at VEX Robotics and the VEX Girl Powered initiative ambassador in Tunisia.
The largest robotics competition in the world, the annual event brought together more than 1,500 high school teams from around the globe to build robots and compete in engineering challenges. The Judge’s Award is reserved for a team that deserves special recognition for their accomplishments, perseverance and team unity during the competition season. Previously, Faten and a team of students won four awards at the 2018 FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition in Mexico City.
Report Date...: 4/29/19
Fellow wins 2019 African Digital Woman at Margaret Awards
Fellow(s): Arielle Kitio
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This month, 2016 fellow Arielle Kitio received the African Digital Woman Award at the annual Margaret Awards in Paris. Now in its seventh year, the awards are held in celebration of Digital Women’s Day, a day created in 2013 that aims to inspire women to innovate in the digital sector.
This year’s awards were themed “Women: World Changers” and recognized leading women who demonstrate commitment to a better world through their work and achievements. Arielle was recognized for her impact as the founder of CAYSTI, a STEM education program that educates young students through their youth tech lab, incubator and after-school programs. “I am moved, honored and grateful to have been selected as a winner,” says Arielle.
Report Date...: 4/29/49
Fellow introduces new technologies to rural women farmers
Fellow(s): Zuleyha Achilova
Country: Turkmenistan
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
This month, 2018 fellow Zuleyha Achilova organized a two-day training for women farmers in the Lebap region of Turkmenistan. Zuleyha, who created and organized the group, is an M&E Specialist for USAID-funded programs and works throughout her country to introduce biotechnologies in wastewater treatment.
Working with colleagues from the USAID/Turkmenistan Governance Support Program, Zuleyha applied her learnings from her TechWomen mentorship at Northgate Environmental Management for the two-day training, creating a curriculum that taught women farmers about innovative and cost-effective biotechnologies in climate-smart agriculture. Using a hands-on approach, the women were introduced to wastewater treatment methods that improve cultivation technique and maximize food production. “Women farmers are struggling to improve their livelihoods and need innovative approaches for meeting their needs,” says Zuleyha. “This training will increase rural women’s knowledge and practical skills on low-cost wastewater treatment, ensuring availability of clean and safe water.”
Report Date...: 4/22/19
