Journey Around the ACM-W World: 2025 Chapter Tour Recap

Supporting, Celebrating, and Advocating for Women in Computing Around the Globe

by Asegul “Ace” Hulus

Welcome back, avid readers, to your 2025 recap of our tours across ACM-W Chapters around the globe. Before I start recapping, I would like to highlight some major milestones from our ACM-W community around the globe. In my role as a committee member of the Global ACM-W Chapters Committee, responsible for overseeing both professional and student chapters, I regularly read annual reports (we love reading your inspiring progress), keep up with chapter activities and profiles, witness and support the chartering of new chapters, and interview chapters for this Spotlight series.

Ace and the ten spotlighted chapters in 2025

First, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate the ACM-W community on its expansion in 2025, reaching a total of 46 chapters: 29 student chapters and 17 professional chapters. Among these student chapters, I would especially like to congratulate the Universidade de Brasília ACM-W Student Chapter on becoming the first ACM-W student chapter in Brazil, an important milestone for the region.

Second, I would like to acknowledge the continued impact of long-standing chapters. The Ohio Celebration of Women in Computing (OCWiC) and the Ohio State University ACM-W Student Chapter have been inspiring women in computing for over 20 years across North America and beyond.

The University of Florida ACM-W Student Chapter has also demonstrated exceptional growth, achieving the largest membership in 2025 with more than 750 members. In Europe, a similar milestone was reached by the Greek ACM-W Chapter, which now has over 220 members, making it one of the largest ACM-W communities in the Europe region.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Oregon State University-Cascades ACM-W Student Chapter for hosting the highest number of meetings and activities in 2025, with around 100 events, demonstrating outstanding commitment to engagement and community building.

Building on these remarkable milestones, I would like to reflect on the ten Spotlight features I had the opportunity to curate this year. Over the course of 2025, I wrote and curated ten Spotlight features for the ACM-W Professional Chapters Corner. These features recognized the successes and essence of chapters located in Cyprus, Greece, Azerbaijan, Kiel, Ukraine (Kharkiv ICT), Nairobi, Dunedin, India (Pune and Chennai), and Fez. Every chapter’s spotlight showcased the shared strength, ingenuity, and guidance that characterize the worldwide ACM-W community.

Celebrating Global Diversity and Leadership

Throughout the year, I observed how local initiatives evolved into global inspiration. Across continents, the ACM-W mission, which is to support, celebrate, and advocate for women in computing, was actively demonstrated through research, outreach, mentorship, and advocacy.

The Cyprus ACM-W Chapter illustrated the influence of international cooperation and academic-industry collaborations in advancing gender equality. Their recent EWiC’24 ACM-W Celebration brought together more than 100 participants from multiple universities, strengthening inter-institutional collaboration across Cyprus and significantly boosting attendees’ confidence in pursuing computing careers. Their active involvement in cybersecurity and programming competitions further highlights their commitment to building technical capacity and fostering an inclusive computing community.
The Greek ACM-W Chapter served as an inspiration through its Gender Equality in Computing Summit, demonstrating how national campaigns can reform equity within the tech industry. Now in its seventh edition, the Summit highlights the Chapter’s long-standing commitment to advancing gender equality in computing. Complementing the Summit, the Chapter’s outreach programmes, including K-12 initiatives, summer and winter schools, and nationwide awareness events, have broadened participation and strengthened pathways for young researchers.
The Kharkiv ICT ACM-W Chapter (Ukraine) exemplified resilience by continuing to empower women through education and innovation, despite the current challenges they are facing. Their recent work includes developing a prototype against gendered deepfake abuse, advancing gender-focused cybersecurity research, sustaining key international collaborations, and delivering strong mentoring that supports students’ academic and professional growth, all while operating fully online.
The Kiel ACM-W Chapter (Germany) fostered inclusion through its Women’s Talk Marathon, featuring 49 talks lasting more than 20 hours in total, thereby transforming equity into a shared discussion. The Chapter has already begun preparing its 2026 Women’s Talk Marathon, demonstrating its continued commitment to advancing women’s voices in computing. Their initiatives such as the Women’s Café, Ada Lovelace Day activities, and interdisciplinary collaborations have strengthened community bonds and created supportive spaces that counter the isolation many female students experience.
The Nairobi ACM-W Chapter in Kenya strengthened Africa’s computing leadership with AfricaCWIC, honouring female innovators while fostering regional cohesion. The 2024 AfricaCWIC celebration brought together participants from Kenya and Nigeria, featured influential regional leaders, and marked a major step toward establishing a sustained pan-African computing community.
The Dunedin ACM-W Chapter (New Zealand) emphasized mentorship and visibility as essential factors for community empowerment. Dunedin’s outreach programs stand out for their adaptability, offering grade-specific workshops and collaborative, hands-on Python instruction that respond directly to New Zealand schools’ unique needs and effectively engage students. Their leadership has also elevated local initiatives into national ones, most notably through the expansion of the Programming Competitions for Girls (PC4G), which now inspires young women across New Zealand to pursue computing with confidence.
The Azerbaijan ACM-W Chapter, in partnership with the ADA ACM Student Chapter, fostered cultural innovation and promoted inclusivity in a rapidly changing technological environment, highlighting the importance of mentorship between experienced professionals and enthusiastic students. Their joint initiatives, including the Café Informatique series, technical workshops, and Ada’s Legacy events, have grown from intimate gatherings to programs attracting up to 150 participants, reflecting the chapters’ rising national visibility and sustained commitment to community building.
India Spotlight (Pune & Chennai) demonstrated collaborative efforts and a common goal, thus bringing chapters in India together to focus on education and empowerment initiatives. Together, the Pune and Chennai chapters created a powerful mentorship pipeline and leadership development pathway, supporting members in securing positions at top tech companies and expanding access to hands-on training, networking, and career opportunities.
The Fez ACM-W Chapter supported women by focusing on research, innovation, and mentorship, demonstrating the power of strong leadership and cooperation to address the gender imbalance in STEM fields, thereby motivating future generations. Their doctoral-research webinar attracted 150 participants and sparked new mentoring groups, while collaborations with global ACM chapters expanded research opportunities and strengthened members’ confidence in pursuing advanced study and leadership roles.

A Shared Vision

Preparing these Spotlights has led this series to have a special place in my heart. Through every interview and collaboration with each chapter, I have met incredible people in computing, made lifelong friends, and realized that I am never alone on this path. In my opinion, this embodies the very spirit of the ACM-W community, a place where individuals can find belonging.

Our ACM-W Global Spotlights remind us that when women in computing rise, they never rise alone; they lift entire communities with them.

As 2025 ends, I carry forward the stories, voices, and friendships from these spotlights that have shaped this journey. United, these spotlights have built a formidable global network of empowerment that consistently promotes equality, sparks innovation, and supports women in computing internationally.

I’m excited to keep exploring and sharing new stories from both Professional and Student ACM-W Chapters in 2026. The efforts of each chapter, spearheaded by experienced professionals, academics, and students, all contribute to a single global initiative: the creation of a more inclusive, interconnected, and inspiring computing community for all individuals.

You can contact me using the details below if you’d like to feature your ACM-W Chapter in this series or ask anything about ACM-W Global Chapters.

Avid readers, thank you for your companionship on this global journey.

Your friendly guide bids you farewell until the next time!

Connect with Asegul “Ace” Hulus

Email: acmw-chapters@acm.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-w-acms-women-in-computing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/women.acm.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acmwomen/