The Grace Hopper Award Program recognizes local girls and women in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry and puts a spotlight on those organizations and initiatives that are making strides towards promoting women’s increased participation in the ICT sector.
The Award Program bears the name of Grace Hopper, a prominent 20th-century American computer scientist, United States computer programming pioneer.
Through public nominations, Grace Hopper Award Program will acknowledge outstanding individuals, programs, and organizations in six categories.
The winners of the Award Program will be announced by June 2021 and will get sponsorship to participate in a two-week study program to Israel during fall 2021. TBC Bank and UN Women will provide the winners of certain categories with the capacity-building programs and will support their professional growth and/or business expansion.
“Today, when the involvement of women in the ICT sector in Georgia is so low, it is very important to implement initiatives that will increase their participation in this field. There are certain stereotypes in this regard, we have a lack of role models and this is one of the reasons why we have established the Grace Hopper Award program. Our goal is to present already successful girls and women in this field. We would like to mention the contribution of the organizations and programs that have achieved positive changes in this regard. We hope that with the Grace Hopper Program, we will motivate more girls and women to be involved in the sector and also encourage organizations to support the empowerment of women in this area,” said Mariam Kobalia, USAID’s Youth and Gender Economic Security Program Specialist.
“This project is directly in line with the priorities of TBC as a technology company to support the involvement of women in technology, especially in the field of ICT. We are pleased to have the opportunity to participate in such a timely initiative. This will give us an opportunity to strengthen the involvement of women in technology and we hope that their interest in these areas will increase even more in the future. In addition, the Grace Hopper Award Program will recognize participants in these areas and engage with partner organizations to help them grow professionally and expand their business prospects,” said Nika Kurdiani, TBC Deputy General Manager.
The winners identified as a result of the jury evaluation will be awarded the Grace Hopper Prize in the following categories:
1. Leader of the Future – A young woman aged 18-30 who makes changes through technology and/or has exceptional achievements in the field of ICT.
2. ICT Champion – A woman who takes a decision-making position in the ICT industry, by her activities is a role model for other women and brings positive changes individually and/or within the organization.
3. Technology Startup – A start-up technology company founded and/or run by a woman/women that uses technology to create an innovative product, service or business model.
4. Women Empowerment Program – A distinctive program, project or initiative that supports the involvement of girls and women in technology.
5. Diversity Support Organization – an organization/institution that promotes gender equality and diversity both within and outside the organization.
6. Supporter of Women’s Empowerment in the ICT Sector – A woman or man who has contributed to the empowerment of women, either individually or within an organization, including taking specific initiatives to empower women and advocate for their interests.
Nominations for the Grace Hopper Award began on March 26 and will continue through April 26, 2021. The winners in each category, in addition to public recognition, will participate in a study visit to Israel, which is carried out in cooperation with the Mashavi Center and the Embassy of Israel in Georgia. In addition, TBC and UN Women have established special prizes for several categories.
For more information, please visit the website: www.ictwomen.ge
