Introducing JUST ACM-W Student Chapter
This month, we are introducing the ACM-W Student Chapter at Jordan University of Science and Technology, officially established on August 19, 2024. The chapter is the first ACM-W Student Chapter in Jordan and brings together dedicated student volunteers from all majors offered at the university’s IT faculty. The chapter was built on the values of collaboration and support, fostering an environment where women can confidently explore their passions in technology and inspire each other to reach new heights. Together, they aim to enhance academic experiences through hands-on workshops, guest lectures, and networking events with industry professionals. Below, find their journey in their own words.
Establishing JUST ACM-W Chapter
In 2023, the four founding members (Danya Al-Jubouri, Aysha Oqdeh, Roaa Moutaz, and Razan Khasawneh) – all Cybersecurity students – attended a Cybersecurity workshop at the university. After the workshop, we started a conversation with the instructor, who, in mid-conversation, asked us, “Do you have a club for women in tech at your university?” We all stared at each other and then responded negatively. The thought of having a community for women in IT at the university had occurred to us before, but being asked that question triggered a change, and we promised not to leave the university without establishing one.
This year, we prepared a strategy document to build a community for women and then visited our Faculty Sponsor, Dr. Malak Abdullah, to ask about the next steps. She welcomed us with open arms and recommended establishing an ACM-W chapter, as it would provide us with chances to collaborate with people with similar passions worldwide. After learning more about ACM-W, we were even more eager to start the chapter.
The following month was filled with interviews with the women who are now chapter members. We asked them why they wanted to sign up. The answers varied: while some had positive experiences in the field, some were very passionate because they had negative experiences and wished to improve things for others. It was to hear the different reasons for joining, and it was also a relief to find people with positive experiences.
We also ensured there were women from each IT discipline offered at our university, as it was crucial to represent all the women there. Of course, our chapter is open to anyone interested in technology and computing. Hopefully, we will have more people join our chapter in the future.
We must admit setting everything up has not been easy. Still, we worked hard and tried to do everything as best as possible. We wanted to set an example for other universities in Jordan to follow in our footsteps and start their chapters to give a space for all women in IT to be themselves.
Next steps
Our plans for the upcoming year are to hold events and workshops and offer a space for women at our university to collaborate and express their needs and interests. We want to vary the types and topics of the events to serve as many people as possible and possibly introduce people to new ideas they might not have heard of before.
One long-term plan is to attract more women into the field. We imagine the day a girl, a fresh high school graduate, thinks of applying to pursue a technology degree at the university. She discovers the ACM-W chapter and finds other women with similar interests. She is inspired, and she understands she will find her community and place in computing—this is what we aspire to achieve.
You can find us on LinkedIn, via our Facebook Page and Facebook Group.