Impact Stories from Empowering Women and Girls Policy Area
Fellow shares experiences as a female founder at MEST Africa Summit
Fellow(s): Baratang Miya
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
Baratang Miya, 2015 fellow of South Africa, spoke on a panel about female founders at the MEST Africa Summit in Cape Town. The panel discussed the lack of women in the African tech space and the challenges female CEOs face in building their businesses. Baratang is a self-taught coder who believes coding is a powerful tool that can be used to empower women and girls who are often shut out of the technology industry. After learning to code, Baratang was inspired to found GirlHype, an organization that offers free after-school programming for 6th to 12th grade girls to learn coding. In addition, the program teaches participants lessons in digital literacy, such as positive and negative consequences of the internet, including privacy concerns and ways to protect one’s information.
When discussing resources for success on the panel, Baratang said, “You need mentors. I was in business for too long until I went into a program of women who just said to me, listen, you just got to do it. Forget about all the stereotypes in your head.”
Report Date...: 6/18/2018
Team Pakistan makes progress on action plan project
Fellow(s): Zainab Saleem, Bisma Hayat, Saima Shabbir, Shamsa Naz, Sadia Bashir and Saba Rasheed Malik
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Team Pakistan, one of five teams to win a $3,000 seed grant during the 2017 program for their action plan project, has taken exciting strides to reach their goal. The team members – Zainab Saleem, Bisma Hayat, Saima Shabbir, Shamsa Naz, Sadia Bashir and Saba Rasheed Malik – launched STEM for Change, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s representation in STEM fields.
Only 18% of women in Pakistan are currently engaged or employed in STEM fields. Team Pakistan attributes this gender disparity to a lack of exposure to STEM subjects, particularly among young girls in public school. The team aims to reduce this disparity by leading STEM workshops for girls in middle school and creating a mentorship program and support network for women working in STEM.
So far, the group has finalized details for their networking and launch event, which will showcase plans for the introductory STEM for Change workshop. They have invited potential investors, including NGOs, government organizations, school representatives and parents to the event. Team Pakistan is also currently in the process of designing the STEM for Change curriculum and selecting target schools for future workshops. Their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr pages will launch in June.
Report Date...: 5/28/2018
Fellow launches STEM education campaign
Fellow(s): Lindiwe Matlali
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Africa Teen Geeks, an organization led by 2017 fellow of South Africa Lindiwe Matlali, launched the Girl Geek campaign last week in partnership with the Ikusasa LeAfrika Foundation (ILAF). The Girl Geek campaign seeks to inspire the next generation of tech innovators by engaging children in a STEM education program that exposes them to robotics, websites, video games and more. Lindiwe hopes to replicate this initiative all over Africa to reach as many students as possible.
Dr. Zweli Mkhize, South Africa’s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, was selected as the campaign’s patron. During his opening remarks, he said, “I am pleased that this initiative encourages and prepares, especially our young women, to be capable and ready to engage with this exciting new world we find ourselves in.” U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jessye Lapenn also attended the event and offered remarks expressing support for the initiative.
Report Date...: 5/21/2018
Fellow invited to speak at Women Techmakers event
Fellow(s): Imen Ammar
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
2017 fellow of Tunisia, Imen Ammar, was invited by Women Techmakers Sousse to be a speaker at Building a New Horizon, an event to belatedly commemorate International Women’s Day. On May 1, Imen will discuss her TechWomen mentorship experience at Twitter this past September, where she was able to delve deeper into her passion for web programming and machine learning.
This event is part of a larger event series organized by Women Techmakers, a Google initiative that aims to empower women in tech through regular programming all over the world. Women Techmakers programming is tailored to women in local communities who are interested in STEM and includes workshops, networking meetups and lectures with inspiring speakers.
Report Date...: 4/23/2018
eSTEM Morocco holds mentoring event for women and girls
Fellow(s): Nezha Larhrissi, Salima Kaissi, Samia Elhanchy, Sofia Ghacham and Salma El Aimani
Country: Morocco
Cohort: 2013, 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
eSTEM Morocco, an organization founded by 2013 fellows of Morocco Nezha Larhrissi and Salima Kaissi, recently organized a mentoring event in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. The event welcomed women and girls from all across Morocco, including alumnae of different U.S. exchange programs, such as TechWomen, TechGirls, Space Camp and SUSI. Also supporting activities at the event were 2017 fellows Samia Elhanchy and Sofia Ghacham and 2013 fellow Salma El Aimani.
eSTEM Morocco is a non-profit organization that strives to empower girls with the tools and resources to enter STEM fields and spread awareness about the role of technology in sustainability. eSTEM accomplishes this goal through facilitating trainings, workshops and camps for girls interested in STEM, organizing an international conference and engaging youth in the Technovation challenge.
Report Date...: 4/23/2018
Fellow named to Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2018 list
Fellow(s): Sadia Bashir
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Sadia Bashir, was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list in the Enterprise Technology category. Sadia is the cofounder of PixelArt Games Academy, a company that creates a platform for individuals who are interested in game development to enhance their skills and collaborate with others in the field of gaming. In an effort to address the gender gap in the gaming industry, her program maintains an enrollment rate of at least 33% women and has scholarships available for women who wish to participate. Sadia also strives to empower more women to break barriers and enter the tech industry in Pakistan and around the world. As her Forbes profile notes, “her success has inspired women in Pakistan to dream bigger.”
Sadia is one of only seven Pakistanis to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and one of only five women to make the list in the Enterprise Technology category.
Read More »Report Date...: 4/2/2018
Mentor and fellows lead Technovation Uzbekistan workshops
Fellow(s): Saida Yusupova, Elena Selezneva, Diana Tsoy and Rekha Pai-Kamath
Country: Uzbekistan
Cohort: 2015, 2016
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls
Mentor Rekha Pai-Kamath partnered with 2016 fellows of Uzbekistan Saida Yusupova and Elena Selezneva and 2015 fellow of Kazakhstan Diana Tsoy to lead workshops as part of the inaugural Women Technology and Innovation Week at Tashkent University of Information Technologies earlier this month. The Technovation Uzbekistan workshops hosted girls age 10 to 18, aiming to enhance participants’ critical thinking, entrepreneurship and programming skills by teaching them to think about issues in their communities through the lens of technology. The inaugural event was also attended by U.S. Ambassador Pamela Spratlen and officials from UNDP Uzbekistan, USAID and local universities.
Rekha and the fellows led breakout sessions, challenging participating girls to contemplate social problems and come up with possible tech solutions. Diana and Rekha also shared their experiences with startups in Silicon Valley.
Rekha is Vice President at Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs and a board member at Fast Forward.
Report Date...: 3/26/2018
Fellow featured by She Leads Africa
Fellow(s): Lindiwe Matlali
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
Lindiwe Matlali, 2017 fellow of South Africa, was recently interviewed by She Leads Africa about her work in the tech industry and her initiative, Africa Teen Geeks, a non-profit organization that provides computer science education to children and underserved youth.
Knit2code, one of the organization’s flagship programs, brings 8- to 10-year-old girls together with their female family members to teach them basic computing through knitting. The program is intended to combat the notion that the tech industry is inaccessible to women. When discussing this commonly held belief, Lindiwe says, “I want to get them to believe that they can also be their generation’s Nelson Mandela. Africa is rising and they are the ones who will rise with it.”
Read More »Report Date...: 3/26/2018
Mentors collaborate with fellows of Tunisia
Fellow(s): Eileen Brewer, Erin Keeley, Amel Ghoulia, Ameni Channoufi, and Ines Nasri
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls
Mentors Eileen Brewer and Erin Keeley recently traveled to Tunisia to lead and participate in a week of impact-focused programming in partnership with TechWomen fellows. During their trip, Eileen and Erin spoke at Tunisia Digital Day, the third annual conference dedicated to digital innovation, founded and organized by 2014 fellow Ines Nasri and her company, WebPower Tunisie. With Women Leaders in Technology (WoLTech), a non-governmental organization founded by 2014 fellow Ameni Channoufi and 12 other TechWomen fellows, they led mentorship-focused sessions for university students at Sesame University. At American Corner Tunis, the mentors shared keys to successful entrepreneurship and provided budding entrepreneurs an opportunity to receive feedback on their startup ideas. Their trip also included support for training and activities related to Technovation Tunisia’s Spring Camp in collaboration with 2014 felllow Amel Ghouila. Eileen also led cybersecurity training and presented on fundraising during events organized by accelerator Flat6Labs and Founder Institute Tunisia, respectively.
Eileen has worked in product development for over 20 years and is currently Director of Enterprise Security at Symantec and a Managing Director at Golden Seeds. Erin is an engineer and investor who has worked as a tech executive for two decades. She is now the Global Director of Engineering at HGST.
Report Date...: 3/26/2018
Mentor(s): Paria Rajal
Company: MissionU
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
Mentor Paria Rajai was recently interviewed by Forbes Magazine about her work promoting diversity in the tech sector. As the co-organizer of the inaugural Women of MENA in Tech Conference held in Silicon Valley earlier this year, Paria has actively supported women pursuing careers in tech. She stresses the importance of community in helping women grow in the tech sector and having a network of others who believe in you and encourage you, saying that “sometimes that little faith and support is exactly what you need to overcome that moment of self-doubt.””
Paria is currently leading diversity and inclusion initiatives at MissionU, a company that provides critical job skills training and real-world work experience to students who are unable to afford a traditional four-year degree program.
Read More »Report Date...: 3/19/2018