Raja'a Khalil

Jordanian educator revolutionizing STEM education for Arab women through innovative mentorship programs

Raja'a Khalil: Breaking Barriers in STEM Education

Dr. Raja'a Khalil is a Jordanian educator and founder of Scholarship4Girls, an organization that has empowered over 10,000 Arab women to pursue STEM careers since its inception in 2005. Born in 1975 in Amman, she witnessed firsthand the systemic barriers preventing women from accessing technical education in Jordan. This inspired her to create pathways for girls to excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Khalil's mentorship model combines academic support with professional networking opportunities. Her flagship program pairs female students with industry mentors from tech companies like Google and Microsoft. Through partnerships with institutions like the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, she has secured scholarships for 500+ women annually to study engineering and computer science. Her 2018 book 《Code for Equality》 outlines strategies to close the gender gap in tech industries.

In 2019, she launched the Arab Women in Tech conference, which brings together 1,500+ participants annually to share innovations and advocate for policy changes. Her work has contributed to a 40% increase in female enrollment in Jordan's engineering programs since 2015. Khalil's advocacy extends to refugee communities, providing STEM education to Syrian women in Jordan's Zaatari camp through mobile labs.

Her global impact was recognized in 2022 when she received the UNESCO Women in Science Prize. Khalil's vision of an inclusive tech future has inspired similar initiatives in Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine. She currently serves as UNICEF's regional advisor for STEM education in the Middle East, shaping policies that ensure equitable access to technology training.