Nigerian Woman Gets Recognition At TechWomen Training In US
A Nigerian woman, Saze Osayande, took part in five-week technology training organized by TechWomen in Washington DC in the US where she was recognized by the United State Vice President’s wife, Jill Biden.
TechWomen, launched by former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in 2011, supports the United States’ global commitment towards advancing the rights and participation of women and girls around the world by enabling them to reach their full potential in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
78 women from across the world came to the US to take part in TechWomen, an initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The United State Vice President’s wife, who was at the training session to mentor the women, posted her encounter with Saze on her blog shortly after the training session.
She wrote: "I spoke with one of the TechWomen, Saze, from Nigeria, who started a company in her home country of Nigeria with dreams of providing digital content for the over 170 million Africans, as well as the 120 million who will come online in the next five years. Saze wants Nigerian and American women in STEM to work collaboratively to solve problems."
She quoted Saze as saying, "Learning from other women in the heart of Silicon Valley, where the term STEM was coined, deepens my understanding and provides greater insights that I can share when I come back to Nigeria.
"It is my hope that we can begin a two-way conversation with STEM professionals in Silicon Valley and Silicon Lagoon, as Lagos is known in tech circles."
She said: "I see an increasing need for women to come together to shape how technology is forming, and we need professional connections to be able to be forceful players in the game."
The TechWomen training draws women participants from Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
Saze, on her part, said she applied for the training since TechWomen afforded participants the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in technology as well as about rising trends in other emerging economies. "I am also excited about experiencing Silicon Valley from the inside. Working with industry leaders in media, marketing and enterprise will provide first hand understanding of how teams are formed and empowered to achieve the amazing things."
On her inspiration as a technology person, Saze said: "Bosses who trusted my abilities and empowered me, mentors who have pushed me and of course my parents who raised me without gender restrictions to be the best that I could be, are all my mentors that have always inspired me."
Over the past three years, 156 women from Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, and from across the globe have participated in TechWomen.
Source: Legit.ng
