FemTechies - For the Women in Tech.

Overview

FemTechies stands for Female Techies (a Techie is a person with great passion for or expertise in Technology). FemTechies is driven by young, energetic, passionate female leaders and Techies from @iLabAfrica – an ICT and Innovation Research Centre based in Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya. FemTechies is dedicated towards connecting and empowering women in Tech.

While there has been some progress towards gender equality and women empowerment, women are still not fully empowered in technology and leadership. Women are the change agents and champions of their communities. When empowered they can contribute to important development goals and to positive change which will in turn spur economic growth for Kenya and Africa. FemTechies addresses issues pertaining to women empowerment through technical capacity building, mentorship, research and innovation.

FemTechies targets Executive Women Leaders, Young Women Professionals sharing similar interests, Female University Students and Girls in Primary and High School. To achieve its mandate, FemTechies runs a number of activities such as student meet-ups, hackathons, workshops, networking events, specialized trainings, and mentorship sessions, responding to grant opportunities among others.

Objectives

To develop technical capacity in ICTs and emerging trends through specialized trainings and workshops
To provide Career Mentorship and Leadership programs for young women, with special focus on sustainable strategies for building successful careers and businesses in Tech
To support innovation and research activities that contribute towards gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls
To provide networking opportunities for young women through meet-ups, workshops, networking events, specialized trainings and mentorships
To source for funding to support FemTechies programs and activities

Who can participate?

Target Audience	Value Add
Executive Women i.e. CEOs, CIOs, Directors etc.	·Can participate as mentors or mentees (reverse mentorship) ·Networking opportunities with global thought leaders in Tech ·Platform to engage in conversations that will spur global collaborations and research towards women empowerment
Young Women Professionals	We host events targeting women who are in managerial or leadership positions. ·Networking opportunities with global thought leaders in Tech ·Career Mentorship ·Access to forums demystifying Technology
University Students i.e. Post-graduate and Undergraduate students	We host events targeting women pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Computer Science or other related courses. ·Career Mentorship ·Opportunity to participate in networking events and forums demystifying Technology ·Access to capacity building programs
Girls in Primary and High Schools	·Access to capacity building programs on ICTs and emerging technologies·Career Mentorship