Washington, D.C. — A group of 41 female technology leaders from the Middle East and North Africa will gather for an event, Tech for Social Good, today, October 9 from 3-5 p.m. EST hosted by the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute. The women are members of the 2012 TechWomen program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State.
The TechWomen participants, their mentors, and a panel of leading figures in the U.S. technology and development sectors will discuss the impact of technology on social change in the Middle East and North Africa, including issues related to gender equity in the technology sector. Follow the event webcast here and join the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #TW2012.
Sarah Morris, policy counsel for the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute, said the program empowers women to transform societies confronted with various government and development challenges.
“These TechWomen will help pave the way for future generations to develop software, devices, and other technologies that will transform not just the tech industry but also societies,” Morris said.
TechWomen is a a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) — implemented by the Institute of International Education — that connects female technology leaders in the Middle East and North Africa with their peers in the United States. By facilitating knowledge exchange and cross-cultural dialogue, the program encourages women across the globe to harness the power of technology to foster social change and innovation.
Panelists at the event include:
• Patty Mechael, executive director, mHealth Alliance: @PattyMechael
• Alex Counts, president & CEO, Grameen Foundation: @AlexCounts
• Adarsh Desai, program manager, Innovation Labs at The World Bank: @adarshdesai
The event will be moderated by Jamie Zimmerman, director of the New America Foundation’s Global Assets Project.
For more information or to schedule an interview with a New America experts, please contact Clara Hogan.
New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that invests in new thinkers and new ideas to address the next generation of challenges facing the United States.
About the Open Technology Institute
The Open Technology Institute formulates policy and regulatory reforms to support open architectures and open source innovations and facilitates the development and implementation of open technologies and communications networks.
