Impact Stories from Empowering Women and Girls Policy Area
MentorShe
Fellow(s): Jessica Obeid
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2012
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Jessica Obeid, a TechWomen fellow from Lebanon founded MentorShe to encourage an promote the role of Lebanese women in politics. The organization aims to break down gender stereotypes related to professions and steer away from the traditional roles of men and women in society. Jessica wants girls to be aware of the sad reality, that despite how advanced society is, the role of women in Lebanon is still lagging. Parents and women have the ability to step up as role models and make a positive change in society.
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Report Date...: 6/6/2016
STEM Women
Fellow(s): Kumba Musa
Country: Sierra Leone
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
Kumba Musa founded STEM Women in her native country upon returning home from the TechWomen program. During the program, she was able to witness and experience the supportive network women have cultivated in Silicon Valley to help and inspire others in STEM. Kumba’s participation in TechWomen inspired her to develop female leaders in Sierra Leone to serve as role models for young girls and create change at a national level, thus leading to the creation of STEM Women.
Read More »Report Date...: 5/30
Technovation Challenge finalists
Fellow(s): Cameroon: Dorothee Danedjo Foubaa. Kazakhstan: Diana Tsoy. Kenya: Josephine Kamanthe, Kendi Ntwiga and Alice Mbui
Country: Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kenya
Cohort: 2013-2015
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
TechWomen fellows in Cameroon, Kazakhstan and Kenya have advanced to the final round of the Technovation Challenge, an annual competition for girls around the world to build a mobile app that will address a community problem. Dorothee Danedjo Foubaa, of Cameroon, served as a mentor to Team Angels Tech of Africa and their app, “Nature Gift,” which promotes the agricultural resources Cameroon has to offer. Diana Tsoy, a fellow of Kazakhstan, supported Team ComPote and their app “Active Citizen,” which aims to connect government figures with citizens. Josephine Kamanthe, fellow of Kenya, along with fellows Kendi Ntwiga and Alice Mbui, supported Team Sniper and their app “M-Safiri,” which provides a platform for people to book travel that is safe and secure.
Report Date...: 5/16/2016
Mozilla Club + UN Women collaboration
Fellow(s): Alice Mbui
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls
Fellow Alice Mbui of Kenya has been working with the Mozilla Learning Network to provide women and girls on the Web with the resources to support safe spaces and to provide training in web literacy. Alice is working to expand the members of Mozilla Clubs, so that girls can meet regularly in-person to learn how to read, write and participate on the Web in an inclusive and engaging way.
Report Date...: 5/9/2016
Women Leaders in Tech
Fellow(s): 2014 + 2015 cohort
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2014, 2015
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls
Fellows from the 2014 and 2015 cohorts in Tunisia founded Women Leaders in Tech – WOLTECH, a group to empower Tunisian women working in STEM fields. WOLTECH is focused on building a network of business women and female experts in STEM fields and creating a platform for universities, schools, companies and institutions working in STEM fields to benefit Tunisian women.
Read More »Report Date...: 4/18/2016
Refugee Girls Need You (AEIF initiative)
Fellow(s): Placidie Benamahirwe, Enatha Mukantwari, Marie Claire Murekatete, Emmanuella Nzahabonimana, Lydie Umubyeyi and Sylvie Umutesi
Country: Rwanda
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
2014 fellows of Rwanda have extended their mentorship activities to refugee girls in Rwanda. The initiative, Refugee Girls Need You, supports undeserved and vulnerable populations, aiming to enhance personal development, exposure of hands-on skills and use of technology among young refugee girls via mobile computer labs. The initiative is working with three camps in Rwanda that are housing refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fellows Placidie Benamahirwe, Enatha Mukantwari, Marie Claire Murekatete, Emmanuella Nzahabonimana, Lydie Umubyeyi and Sylvie Umutesi have partnered with the Rwanda Development Board, which provides mobile computer labs to reach rural areas. The fellows hope to encourage more girls to take on professional careers within in the fields of science, technology, and math.
Report Date...: 4/11/2016
She Can Do It!
Fellow(s): Rund Awwad, Maram Damous, Ghaida Khader, Rand Muhtaseb and Afnan Saqr
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth
TechWomen fellows of Jordan, Awwad, Maram Damous, Ghaida Khader, Rand Muhtaseb and Afnan Saqr, launched the initiative “She Can Do it!”, providing mobile apps development and on-the-job training opportunities. The four fellows developed the plan during the 2015 program to focus on capacity building and job training for recent female graduates in the IT and green technology fields in Jordan.
Report Date...: 3/28/2016
HerCode
Fellow(s): Aretha Mare, Rumbidzayi Mlambo
Country: Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls
Aretha Mare and Rumbidzayi Mlambo, 2013 fellows and founders of TechWomen. Zimbabwe. TWZ is an initiative to bridge the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship and mathematics (STEEM). Pamusha is one of several projects supported by TWZ.The program is designed to impart practical and experiential skills in ICT to young women and other innovators to code for change.
Read More »Report Date...: 2/22/2016
Mombasa Girls in STEM Solve IT
Fellow(s): 2014 TechWomen fellows – Serah Kahiu, Sandra Kambo, Umikaltuma Mohamed, Sylvia Mukasa, Annie Njenga and Adah Waseka
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls
The project aims to train 25 to 30 women professionals from Mombasa on a STEM curriculum. These ‘Trainers of trainers’ (TOT) will then train 150 high school girls on the curriculum and work on a STEM-based project that addresses a community problem in Mombasa.
Read More »Report Date...: 1/18/2016
STEM workshops
Fellow(s): Joy Agene, Desiree Craig and Busayo Durojaiye, Faten Khalfallah
Country: Nigeria, Tunisia
Cohort: 2014, 2015
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Engagement
TechWomen fellows Joy Agene, Desiree Craig, and Busayo Durojaiye facilitated “STEM Rocks” workshops for female high school students in Lagos, Nigeria, in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Abuja’s American Corners
Report Date...: 12/7/2015
