Last year, at my very first Grace Hopper Conference, I had the honor of sitting down with the three recipients of the Change Agent scholarships. These three technologists, at the top of their career, act as powerful agents of social change in the world.
Suriya Mayandi Thevar, INDIA- told me she was especially concerned about supporting women in India’s rural areas, those who lack basic access to technology. Since then, Suriya has spearheaded a workshop entitled “Women Run ICT Enterprises” where entrepreneurs, technologists, academics, and venture capitalists, convened to discuss how technology can empower women in rural areas. Suriya is inventing the future for women in India.
Claudia Bauzer Medeiros, BRAZIL- emphasized that “the dialogue between countries needs to be a two-way street”, and that countries can learn from each other to increase the influence on women on technology. Claudia has mentored countless students and has given international lectures on the state of women computer scientists in Brazil.
Ijeoma Terese Ihenachor, NIGERIA-
Works relentlessly to increase the pipeline of women in engineering and computer science in her country. Her vision for her country and the African continent says it all: “If you want your country to succeed, you need women to be allowed to excel. Excelling is not about muscle power, it’s about brain power. I say, if you want to build a nation, empower the women!”