Under the umbrella of the SHETECHS initiative, Orange Jordan and the Information and Communication Technology Association (Int@j), launched the “Inspiring Change through Digital World” award, to celebrate and encourage women entrepreneurs in the ICT sector.
The projects will be evaluated by a specialized jury to select 3 winners among all the applicants.
The criteria for participating in the award include that the female applicant has an innovative idea, and is the founder, partner, CEO or MD in a startup or project based in Jordan. The projects selected should have the potential for a sustainable social and environmental impact, in addition to being innovative and competitive, and either at the growth stage or ready to implement a prototype.
Applicants interested in applying for the award should visit the award’s website https://intaj.net/shetechs-iwd/, or the “Int@j” and Orange Jordan social media accounts to learn more. The deadline for submissions is by the end of March and the results will be announced at the end of April.
CEO of Orange Jordan, Thierry Marigny reaffirmed the company’s wish to empower leading women in digital development, by appreciating and encouraging their achievements, in addition to enabling more women to harness their potential and achieve excellence, especially in the digital sector. This stems from Orange’s role as a responsible digital leader committed to digital inclusion, where gender equality across all areas is one of the company's top priorities.
He also noted that Orange continues its work towards gender equity, empowering women both within the company, boosting their professional advancement and reach to leadership positions, and outside the company through sustainable programs across the Kingdom that give women the opportunity to acquire digital and entrepreneurial skills for free, as part of the company's corporate social responsibility strategy.
Marigny pointed out that women represent 25.2% of the company's workforce, while 20.9% of managerial positions are held by females, with two women on the executive committee. The company has twice obtained the Gender Equality European & International Standard (GEEIS) by Bureau Veritas, a global standard for promoting a culture of gender equality in the workplace, where the company improved its performance and achieved a score of 4 out of 5.
Ruba Darwish, a member of the Int@j board of directors and head of the SHETECHS initiative, stressed the importance of this award to showcase the great efforts made by women in their work and the community, noting that such awards would encourage women in the ICT sector.
Darwish stressed the competence and experience of women working in ICT and their ability to innovate and create. Stating that Jordanian women graduates, given their scientific and practical skills, have a prominent role to play in transforming innovative ideas into feasible projects in all sectors, mainly health, education, sustainable development, and technology.
Darwish emphasized that the association will continue to work to increase the ratio of female participation in the sector, and facilitate their contribution to the digital economy transition.
SHETECHS is an initiative launched by Int@j to connect female graduates with ICT companies, facilitating their job search and ensuring that they have the technical and digital skills needed.