TechWomen

108 women. 21 countries. Each one making an impact in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Meet the 2020-2021 TechWomen Emerging Leaders! #techwomen20_21

Recently, 2018 fellow of Rwanda Noella Nibakuze helped lead a two-month project that mentored 10 young Rwandan women artists in sustainable architecture. Noella is a design associate at MASS Design Group, a U.S.-based architecture firm that leads purpose-driven projects, focuses on using sustainable materials and promotes local economies. MASS recently partnered with the Soul of Nations Foundation, an organization that uplifts indigenous people through their programming cente...red on art, research and scholarship. The project also included the U.S. Embassy Rwanda, as well as the Institute of National Museums. Noella was appointed by MASS to lead the effort, titled Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project, helping mentor the 10 Rwandan women artists through job shadowing, workshops and more. The completion of the project was celebrated at a virtual event, where U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Peter Vrooman thanked Noella for her mentorship. Congratulations on your impactul #mentorship, Noella! #twimpact U.S. Embassy Kigali, Rwanda Photo credit: Soul of Nations Foundation

Congratulations to five of our TechWomen alumnae whose #ExchangeAlumni initiatives were named winners of the 2020 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund! Through Mompreneur, 2018 fellow Dalia Shurrab will help support 60 mothers from the Gaza Strip and 30 from the West Bank to start their own online businesses. With specialized training in design and marketing, the program will empower women to monetize their skills in wood carving, embroidery, cooking and more. The project inclu...ding Palestinian Territories alumnae Yamama Mahdi Shaka'a (2016) and Ruba Awayes (2017), VTech Road, was recently adapted to a virtual setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comprehensive online learning platform will offer courses and educational materials that support women’s political, economic and civic participation. 2014 fellow of Cameroon Christelle Tayou and her team created Protecting Internally Displaced Women from Abusive Arrests to address the needs of displaced and vulnerable women, many who lack proper documentation, through legal support and health assistance. They will also train women and girls in the monitoring and reporting of human rights violations. With Combatting Sexual Violence Against Female Students and Female Teachers in Secondary Schools in the Littoral Region of Cameroon, 2016 fellow Gisèle Sonfack will address Gender-Based Violence, targeting eight schools and working with students to raise awareness and create meaningful community impact. International Exchange Alumni See more

2017 fellow of South Africa Lindiwe Matlali and her organization, Africa Teen Geeks, were recently featured in a video profile by CNN Africa for their work spreading STEM education to students throughout Africa. In the face of increasing high school dropout rates and a deficit of STEM skills within South Africa, Africa Teen Geeks, the largest computer science NGO in Africa, recently partnered with South Africa’s Department of Basic Education to introduce coding and robotics i...nto classrooms. So far, they have translated the curriculum into the 11 official languages of South Africa. This means that when our kids start school at six years old and can’t speak English yet, they will learn coding in their mother tongue, said Lindiwe. Africa Teen Geeks has also partnered with UNICEF to scale their impact in developing countries. A girl can do whatever she wants, said one of Africa Teen Geek’s young students featured in the profile. If I can get to where I want to be, then I can encourage a lot of girls and make them see that they have potential. Watch the full profile: https://bit.ly/38eymtl #twimpact #STEMeducation

#twimpact from 2019 fellow of Algeria Imene Henni Mansour, who visited the International Institute of Management in Blida, Algeria to speak to students about her career in digital marketing and how her experience as a TechWomen mentee at GoDaddy helped shape her career goals. During the event, she spoke about the importance of using digital marketing as a tool to grow business and stay connected to customers. She also discussed the need for more Algerian companies to optimize digital marketing, proposing solutions on how businesses can maximize digital marketing tools. I was back with strength after almost a year of absence due the pandemic, said Imene. It was a super audience, and a very motivational event.

Last month, TechWomen/TechGirls Clubs held their biannual regional summits for the CSA and MENA regions, convening alumnae from both programs to share club updates, network and reignite club involvement for the coming year. Although the COVID-19 pandemic halted or delayed many outreach activities, workshops and initiatives, the clubs continue to organize, plan and provide mentorship opportunities to the TechGirls participants. We look forward to seeing the impact these teams of women and girls create! #twimpact

Last month, 2019 fellow of Egypt Hadeel Hosney was a speaker at the She Talks Science Summit 2020, a virtual event that brought together women in science for three days of idea exchange and networking. Hadeel is an environmental lecturer and researcher as well as the technical coordinator for Zewail City of Science and Technology. The summit was attended by undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as women in science from throughout the MENA region. In her presentatio...n, Hadeel spoke about bioprocess engineering, a growing sector that involves the design and development of equipment and processes for the manufacturing of products like food, medicines, vaccines, biologically-based products and more. I was asked what background is needed to be specialized in this, said Hadeel. My answer: no specialization is needed -- you just need the passion to help your community. #twimpact #womeninscience See more