Women in Tajikistan face many barriers to educational and career opportunities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). According to recent data from the World Economic Forum (WEF), women make up less than 20% of the STEM workforce in the Central Asian country.
Equipping women with technology skills
Madina Pulotova, founder and CEO of the NGO Jahoni Mo, understands the challenges facing women in STEM. Jahoni Mo focuses on empowering young people and women in STEM, specifically equipping them with information technology skills to achieve career success.
Like many effective NGOs in Tajikistan, Jahoni Mo was born out of personal experience.
"When I finished high school in 1999, my financial constraints prevented me from continuing my studies at that time. It took me seven years to go to university. I felt the pain of young people who could not continue their studies and this motivated me to do something," Pulotova said.
Based in Khujand, Tajikistan’s second largest city, Jahoni Mo empowers women and girls by connecting technology and psychology to ensure that participants have both skills and emotional intelligence. Jahoni Mo provides training in computer and financial literacy, in addition to hosting psychology workshops.
Through partnerships with private companies, participants have job opportunities after completing the program. Pulotova said the organization's mission is to support women in their journey to success.
Madina Pulotova, Executive Director of the NGO Jahoni Mo
"What women need is the opportunity to develop"
Although not yet widespread in Tajikistan, the IT sector is growing, with a value of around $350 million by 2023. This growth is pivotal to Tajikistan's transition from a rural, agricultural economy to a modern, digital, service-oriented nation.
Pulotova aims to involve women in this transformation and ensure that Tajikistan's digital development is not limited to the capital, Dushanbe. "There are more opportunities in Dushanbe, mainly due to access to education and technology. It is also where most of the big companies are based, but people in Khujand and the north of the country are just as capable," she said.
A key part of Jahoni Mo’s mission is to improve the effectiveness of social entrepreneurship in Tajikistan, aiming to reduce NGOs’ dependence on external funding. Supported by the Embassy of Finland, Jahoni Mo’s program trains around 40 women and girls and prepares 10 students to compete in the Global Robotics Challenge.
Pulotova expressed her desire to empower more women to pursue careers in technology. “I can see that women and girls are interested in STEM and have a passion for it. What they need is an opportunity to develop and we are doing everything we can to help them,” she said.
In September 2024, Jahoni Mo will send a team of three girls to Greece to participate in the Global Robotics Challenge, a feat that Pulotova is extremely proud of and hopes will be a catalyst for more support, especially from the Tajik business community.
“We need more connections between businesses, individuals and NGOs because it shouldn’t be left to the nonprofits to do everything on their own,” she said.
Source: Emerging Europe
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/tajikistan-tang-cuong-trang-bi-cho-phu-nu-cac-ky-nang-cong-nghe-20240729142919303.htm
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