What is TechWomen?
TechWomen empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities.
Through mentorship and exchange, TechWomen strengthens participants’ professional capacity, increases mutual understanding between key networks of professionals, and expands girls’ interest in STEM careers by exposing them to female role models.
Impact Stories
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Fellow(s): Nezha Larhrissi
Country: Morocco
Region: MENA
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Public Health
Fellow-led NGO, eSTEM Morocco, recognized by U.S. Ambassador to Morocco for Marrakech-Safi earthquake aid work
Fellow Nezha Larhrissi (Morocco, 2013), President of seed grant-funded NGO eSTEM Morocco, was invited for a special meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Morocco H.E Puneet Talwar to acknowledge and discuss the NGO’s intervention and aid efforts taken this fall following the 6.8 magnitude Marrakech-Safi earthquake in Morocco. ESTEM Morocco took part in a consortium of six other NGOs led by Association Maa Wa Namaa, which galvanized a caravan of relief workers to advance on the impacted region within 48 hours of the initial quake, offering field support to some 1300 families in 27 douars across Alhaouz, Taroudant, Chichaoua and Essaouira.
Nezha led a group of voluntary Moroccan IT engineers and oversaw the production of a portable mapping system, SeismeHUB, which provided timely insights pinpointing where urgent relief support was most needed across the more than 2000 douars severely impacted by the earthquake. In addition, eSTEM Morocco bridged and fostered connections between various working groups supporting communication, medical aid, field operations, reconstruction, digital data processing, fundraising, documentation and finance.
“On the ground we took also care of talking to women and girls, trying to provide presence and psychological relief,” Nezha detailed in recent communications.
The results of the response efforts can be found in an Arabic-language report prepared by Maa Wa Namaa.
Read More »Report Date: 12/25/2023
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Fellow(s): Yollanda Washaya
Country: Zimbabwe
Region: SSA
Cohort: 2022
Project/Action: Fellow leads 3rd place win at UbuntuNet hackathon
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow leads 3rd place win at UbuntuNet hackathon
“We came, we CODED, we conquered,” shared fellow Yollanda Washaya (Zimbabwe, 2022) in a recent post celebrating the victory of Team Kusha from Africa University in Zimbabwe, who won third place out of 300 applicants continent-wide at the first-ever UbuntuNet Alliance Women Hackathon this fall. Held in advance of the UbuntuNet-Connect 2023 Conference in Uganda, the initiative was created to champion gender equality in STEM fields.
Yollanda serves as the Head of Innovation at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Her team has recently developed an AI-powered authoring tool called KUSHA “in our quest to make educational articles more palatable,” she wrote in another recent post showcasing the AI’s generative abilities.
Report Date: 12/25/2023
Updates
TechWomen@10 Announcements from Secretary of State Antony Blinken
TechWomen celebrates ten year of impact and innovation at TechWomen@10 on October 20, 2022. During this event, Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid the framework for the decade to come. TechWomen will be expanding in several ways over the next decade to expand the footprint of the program to new regions, connect deeper with the TechGirls program and connect our mentors and fellows in new ways.
TechWomen@10 Celebration
Join us for a very special event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the TechWomen Program, its impact, and honor the dedicated community of individuals who share in its mission of empowering women and girls in STEM around the world. The event will highlight the contributions of our 1200+ mentor community, partner companies, program success stories, and share plans for the future. We will conclude the celebration by announcing this year’s Techwomen Emerging Leader seed grant winners! Many thanks to Juniper Networks for hosting the reception and celebration at their Aspiration Dome.
TechWomen Fall 2022 Pitch Day @ Waymo
Waymo is proud to host TechWomen’s Pitch Day. TechWomen is an exchange initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in STEM from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. At Pitch Day, groups of Emerging Leaders pitch their action plans for a chance to receive seed grant funding to jump-start implementation of their impact project.
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Startup Mix - April 11, 2019The Girl Who Programs Artificial Intelligence – TechWomen
She is Nomad - November 14, 2018TechWomen winners on using their skills to help Genocide survivors
The New Times - November 14, 2018Kazakh team wins TechWomen seed grant to address domestic violence
Astana Times - November 7, 2018Podcast: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms Of Discrimination
U.S. Mission Nigeria - March 30, 2018