On March 27th, 2025, the Executive Director of the TechWomen program wrote to thousands of women around the world with wonderful news: after 13 days of her entire staff being furloughed, they would be coming back to the office. 13 days of her entire staff being furloughed 13 days of her entire staff being furloughed I am very pleased to inform you that IIE will bring back to work the TechWomen team members placed on furlough. This means that we are now able to continue to support the TechWomen program and are of course eager to do so! Team members will return to work in the next week or two to carry forward planning for the 2025 TechWomen program. On behalf of the TechWomen team, I want to thank each and every one of you for the outpouring of encouragement, and for your vocal support of TechWomen and for international exchange more broadly. We are so grateful to be a part of this community. I am very pleased to inform you that IIE will bring back to work the TechWomen team members placed on furlough. This means that we are now able to continue to support the TechWomen program and are of course eager to do so! Team members will return to work in the next week or two to carry forward planning for the 2025 TechWomen program. On behalf of the TechWomen team, I want to thank each and every one of you for the outpouring of encouragement, and for your vocal support of TechWomen and for international exchange more broadly. We are so grateful to be a part of this community. HackerNoon was the first site to carry the news of TechWomen being under threat, so it is the first to report that TechWomen is back online! the first site to carry the news of TechWomen being under threat the first site to carry the news of TechWomen being under threat Since that first HackerNoon article 10 days ago, mentors found ways to meet face-to-face with members of Congress, confirming bipartisan support during a fall day of meetings with Congressional offices on March 25th, and drafted 3 more opinion pieces aimed at getting the program's funding restored. We may never know why the funding came back, but what is clear is this group of thousands of women came together to fight the good fight – and won. The community is overjoyed, with WhatsApp groups and LinkedIn posts overflowing with joy from Morocco to Kyrgyzstan, from Egypt to South Africa. Maryann Hrichak of San Francisco, CA, USA says: "Smart women, smart tech and smart power: The restoration of the U.S. Dept of State’s TechWomen program ensures that the U.S. will remain competitive in the global economy. My many years of involvement as an impact coach & cultural mentor have already proven the significant contributions in STEM this program has brought & will continue to bring to the table." "Smart women, smart tech and smart power: The restoration of the U.S. Dept of State’s TechWomen program ensures that the U.S. will remain competitive in the global economy. My many years of involvement as an impact coach & cultural mentor have already proven the significant contributions in STEM this program has brought & will continue to bring to the table." Sylvia Mukasa of Nairobi, Kenya writes: "As a 2014 TechWomen Fellow, seeing the program’s funding restored is a deeply emotional moment for me—a testament to the power of global mentorship, resilience, and the unwavering belief that investing in women in STEM transforms lives, industries, and nations." "As a 2014 TechWomen Fellow, seeing the program’s funding restored is a deeply emotional moment for me—a testament to the power of global mentorship, resilience, and the unwavering belief that investing in women in STEM transforms lives, industries, and nations." Nicole Martindale of San Francisco, CA, USA says: "TechWomen is such an amazing community of inspirational, intelligent, passionate, and dedicated women (both mentors and fellows), and it’s truly a spark of hope and joy to have the funding restored for this incredible program!" "TechWomen is such an amazing community of inspirational, intelligent, passionate, and dedicated women (both mentors and fellows), and it’s truly a spark of hope and joy to have the funding restored for this incredible program!" Ella Morgulis of San Francisco, CA, USA says: "The TechWomen program is about uniting and empowering women around the world, in the US and abroad. When we stood collectively and fought for it, we got the results and demonstrated that we live our values. Strong as ever." "The TechWomen program is about uniting and empowering women around the world, in the US and abroad. When we stood collectively and fought for it, we got the results and demonstrated that we live our values. Strong as ever." Katy Dickinson of San José, CA, USA says: "I am so very glad and relieved that the funding for TechWomen has been restored so that even more inspiring STEM leaders can join us and we can have the honor of mentoring them. Together, TechWomen work together to make the world better place." "I am so very glad and relieved that the funding for TechWomen has been restored so that even more inspiring STEM leaders can join us and we can have the honor of mentoring them. Together, TechWomen work together to make the world better place." (I should note a bias here. I've been involved with TechWomen from its conception not only because I have a background in both STEM and Arabic, but because my mother was the original process architect who helped design the program in 2010. Two days after we received the email about TechWomen's staff being furloughed, she and I went to the Capitol and held signs together, not so much for whatever staff were inside on a stormy Sunday afternoon, but to help our global community take courage and see we were ready to walk our talk to get our program back. That’s us, standing together, in the photo at the top of this story). who helped design the program in 2010 who helped design the program in 2010 The fight is not over yet. Right now, the Fulbright and Gilman program has not announced an end to their furloughs. So, in their typically practical and generous way, TechWomen mentors are planning to use meetings they had scheduled to advocate for TechWomen to instead thank those who supported our program and also advocate for those programs whose funding is still in limbo. Who knows what the future holds, if TechWomen will come under threat again in the days, months, or years ahead. But for now, TechWomen’s excellent team will be finalizing the cohort for fall 2025, working with Embassy staff around the world to select the newest TechWomen Fellows to join this incredible, strong, global network of women in STEM. And that is something for everyone to celebrate.
