History
In June 2011, TechWomen launched with 37 participants from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and the Palestinian Territories. In 2012, the program expanded to include women from Tunisia and Yemen. In 2013, the cohort doubled in size with the addition of women from Cameroon, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In 2015, expanded to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The 2017 TechWomen program included women from Pakistan. In 2019, the TechWomen program welcomed over 100 participants from 21 countries. In 2023, the TechWomen program expanded to include mentorship opportunities based in Chicago. And, in 2025 TechWomen welcomed participants from Albania for the very first time!
U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations. As mandated by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) works to build friendly, peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports and professional exchanges, as well as public -private partnerships.
The Institute of International Education (IIE)
The Institute of International Education (“IIE”) is a New York not-for-profit corporation that is among the world’s largest and most experienced international education and training organizations. Founded in 1919, IIE promotes educational exchange around the world through a wealth of programs and services including Fellowship and Scholarship Management, Higher Education Institutional Development, Emergency Student and Scholar Assistance, and Leadership Development.
For more than 100 years, IIE has promoted educational exchange around the world. In 2024, IIE implemented programs benefiting over 25,000 participants from countries all over the world. Foremost among these programs is the world-renowned Fulbright Program, which IIE has had the honor to administer on behalf of the U.S. Department of State since the program’s inception in 1946. In addition to the U.S. Department of State, program sponsors include: major philanthropic foundations; private and public corporations; foreign governments; and individuals.
With IIE’s global headquarters in New York City, IIE has offices around the world, including offices in the United States (Washington D.C., Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco) and presence in other countries (China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, and Ukraine).
