Girls from North Africa Participate in U.S. Department of State Program on Empowering Girls Through Technology

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC

June 20, 2013

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that 27 TechGirls from eight Middle Eastern countries and the Palestinian Territories will arrive in Washington DC on June 25 for a three-week exchange. TechGirls provides girls from the Middle East and North Africa with the knowledge and resources to pursue higher education and careers in technology. This program builds on the U.S. global commitment to advance the rights of women and girls around the world.

From June 25 – July 18, these tech-savvy teenagers from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, and Yemen will engage with their American counterparts in the classroom and the community, working on their technical development and leadership skills. They will participate in an iD TechCamp, an interactive technology and computer camp, at Towson University; meet with leading U.S. technology companies in Washington, DC, and New York, NY; and take part in community service activities. The TechGirls will be also be mentored by representatives from top technology companies, making important personal contacts and expanding their networks to compete equally in an often male-dominated field. The TechGirls Program is administered by Legacy International.

TechGirls was first announced in 2011, on the heels of the successful first year of TechWomen, a mentoring program that pairs emerging female leaders with top American women in the technology sector.

Working to ensure a diverse experience, the Department has teamed up with several private sector partners, including: 24Notion, ALIVE!, Inc., AT&T, Bully Pulpit Interactive, Code4Charity, the DC Digital Divas Dinner, DoSomething.org, Facebook, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Girls in Tech, Girls Who Code, Google, OhMyGov Inc., Precision Network, Relief International, TechChange, Women Innovate Mobile, Yahoo!, and Verizon Communications. The State Department is also pleased to collaborate with the White House, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA), and the Federal Communications Commission for the TechGirls program.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter @TechGirls.

For more information, please contact of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov.