Fereshteh Forough

Iranian tech educator bridging gender gaps in STEM through coding initiatives

Fereshteh Forough (born 1985) is an Iranian-German computer scientist and advocate for women’s access to technology. In 2014, she launched Code to Bridge the Gap, a nonprofit that teaches programming to refugee and underprivileged girls in conflict zones, including Syria and Afghanistan. Her work has empowered over 1,000 women to pursue tech careers, challenging gender stereotypes in male-dominated fields. Forough’s collaboration with UNESCO and the UNHCR has expanded her impact globally. She also co-founded Women in ICT in Iran, fostering digital literacy among young women. Her TED Talk "How I teach refugee girls to code" highlights her mission to democratize tech education. Forough’s efforts have been recognized by the German Chancellor's Award for Integration (2017) and the UN Women's Empowerment Principles.