OWSD is the first international forum to unite eminent women scientists from the developing and developed worlds with the objective of strengthening their role in the development process and promoting their representation in scientific and technological leadership. OWSD's secretariat is hosted by TWAS.

Named after its founder, Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, ICTP provides scientists from developing countries with continuing education. TWAS's headquarters is located on the ICTP campus. Both organizations collaborate in various ways, for example by organizing such courses as the ICTP-TWAS School on functional analysis.