TechWomen is an initiative that sprang from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Application is now open for interested participants for the 12th Cohort.
The fall 2022 TechWomen will be welcoming upcoming women leaders from about 21 African countries, Central and South Asia as well as the Middle East.
Selection Process
Participants will be selected based on the eligibility requirements stated below.
Applications are usually reviewed by independent selection committees comprising of industry leaders and regional experts. Semifinalists may be interviewed by U.S Embassy personnel in their country of permanent residence.
TechWomen Eligibility:
All Applicants must:
- Be a woman with at least 2 years of full-time professional experience in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) sector. Kindly note that internships and unpaid work experience don’t add up to the 2 years required professional experience.
- Possess at least a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, a 4-years university degree, or its equivalent.
- Be skilled in spoken and in written English.
- Be a citizen and permanently reside in the following countries; Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan or Zimbabwe as at the time of applying and also while participating in the program.
- Be qualified to get a U.S. J-1 exchange visitor visa.
- Not have in the past 5 years applied for an immigrant visa to the U.S (other than, Diversity Immigrant Visa, also known as the “visa lottery”).
- Not be a U.S. legal permanent resident or holder of U.S citizenship.
Applicants with the skills below will be given preference over others:
- Applicants who prove themselves as an emerging leader in their choice of professional track through their job experience, volunteering expertise, community activities as well as education.
- Those who are determined to return back to their home countries with the zeal to share and implement what they’ve learned as well as serve as mentors to girls and women.
- Applicants who have limited knowledge or no prior experience within the United States.
- Those with a proven track record of voluntary or public service in their communities.
- Applicants with a demonstrated track record of entrepreneurialism as well as dedication to innovations.
- Those who show the willingness to participate in exchange programs, embrace mentorship opportunities, and new partnership development as well as exhibit maturity and confidence.
Application Timeline
- The application is currently open.
- Close Date: 09:00AM PST(GMT -8) January 5, 2022.
- Applicants Notification of status: no later than April 30, 2022.
- Interview for Semi-finalist: April 2022.
- Announcement of Finalist: May 31, 2022.
- The fall 2022 TechWomen program: September – October 2022.
Kindly note that all applicants will be duly informed about their application success.
Women with diverse backgrounds and skills in STEM are encouraged to apply including those with disabilities.
To apply for the Fall 2022 TechWomen application, kindly complete and electronically submit Here
