“Big wins start with small steps”: Inspiring girls in Uzbekistan to become tech leaders

The three young women recently participated in Technovation Girls Uzbekistan, the largest tech programme for girls and young women in the country where participants apply their skills to develop solutions to real-world problems through technology.

Hosted by Technovation Girls, a global tech education non-profit that empowers young women and girls to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders, and supported by UN agencies including IOM, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, UNAIDS and other partner organizations in Uzbekistan, the programme has been empowering young women and girls in Uzbekistan since 2018.

Malika, Madina and Sarvinoz shared their thoughts on girls in tech, the importance of (parental) encouragement, and their long-term plans.

Malika, 17

Hello, I’m Malika! I am from Uchkuduk, a small town in Navoiy region in central Uzbekistan. I'm studying at a high school, in Tashkent, and preparing for my entrance exams to a tech university.

I really enjoy maths, physics, chemistry, biology, and English. I used to think that I would dedicate my life to medicine and become a doctor. But after Technovation Girls, I realized that my future lies within technology and engineering. And this has been driving me for the past three years.

My mom and dad are very encouraging; it is important for them that their kids discover their true calling. I am incredibly grateful to them for paying the tuition for my English courses and making sure I have the equipment I need for my tech projects, including a laptop and a cell phone.

During Technovation I learned how to develop startups, how to code, and most– importantly – how to work in a team and set goals. My team and I created iMigrant, a mobile app that helps migrants find the legal information, advice, and other useful local services that they need.

Although STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is a much sought after area of study, women and girls are still unrepresented in the field.

In the future, I’d like to open my own STEM centre for girls in Uzbekistan to encourage them go into the science and technology fields, and break the stereotypes that girls are not able to achieve success in engineering and IT.

Madina, 19

Hi all, I'm Madina from Namangan, a city in the beautiful Fergana Valley in eastern Uzbekistan. I am currently studying computer science and economics at Brandeis University in the United States.

Big wins start with small steps. My family were the only ones supporting my passion for computer science. So naturally I wasn’t expecting to fit within society’s stereotypical narratives about women in tech. But now I see that attitude toward women in tech is changing.

At Technovation, other girls and I developed an app that is helping to connect local non-profits and volunteers interested in tackling issues related to community development.

Participating in technology programmes taught me to be more focused and diligent. I [also] learned to create a mobile app from scratch and to develop a basic business plan. Most importantly, deep diving into the tech world has significantly changed the way I look at technological innovation.

With time I realized that there are a lot of people who are willing to support you, you just need to find them. And now, when there are more and more girls entering the IT and STEM fields, it’s important they feel inspired and empowered. And personally, I believe that Uzbekistan, as a country, is ready to support young aspiring girls in STEM, especially IT.

Sarvinoz, 18

Hi, I’m Sarvinoz. I was born into an ordinary family in Tashkent. Now I am a first-year computer science student at the Riga Business School in Latvia.

I am very grateful to my parents. Seeing my fiery eyes, my parents supported my choices. They never doubted that I would succeed.

I liked all subjects at school, but I especially enjoyed geography, mathematics, and literature. I enjoy Russian classics as well as modern Western authors. Currently I’m reading Stephen Covey’s book, "Speed of Trust.”

In 2020, I competed in Technovation Girls Uzbekistan for the first time. My team and I worked on an eco-project and developed an app-game to teach users about environment preservation and sustainability.

The basics of programming and business, among other skills I learned there, are now very useful to me at university. But the best part was the valuable and useful network I established. In 2021, I participated in Technovation once again, this time as a Student Ambassador.

I don't dream, I set goals. And one of them is to return to my homeland as a strong professional, and, by contributing to the development of society, bring Uzbekistan to a new level.