How Afghan women are making unprecedented strides in the technology sector, despite challenges

Earlier this month, on December 17, a vibrant group of young women, with the help of Twitter, congregated in Bengaluru to discuss new trends and potential of women influence in technology. A lot has been written on that, the participants of which are rightfully seen as influencers of women empowerment in the region.

However, about 2,500 kilometres away, a much smaller gathering of female technology professionals came together to share their insights with young talented women, in a less likely setting—in the war-torn city of Kabul - for the TechWomen Summit. Young Afghan women, who were also web developers, programmers and other tech experts in their own right, greeted intrigued participants, mostly women, at the registration counter, handing them the agenda for the day and answering the many questions the young crowd put forth to them.

“Is it easy to learn coding? Is it a financially lucrative career? Can I become a web developer?” These are some the questions women often ask members of TechWomen. 

“Information and technology is perhaps the easiest career choices for Afghan women,” the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani told the many young and eager participants, mostly women. Ghani made a proud reference to the team who is working on her own website. Incidentally, she is among the very few socially and technologically active First Ladies in the world.

“There is a lot of potential in this sector, not just for individuals but also for businesses,” she assured. Although still a very nascent industry, Afghanistan’s technological capacities are fast expanding. “It allows women the convenience of developing a career while continuing to adhere to cultural norms,” she explained.

Ghani was, of course, referring to the largely patriarchal society of Afghanistan that seldom supports women empowerment across industries. A small percentage of women in Afghanistan have the privileged of higher education, and an even smaller pursue professional careers after.

However, times are changing, and more women are considering taking up job opportunities not just to help support families, but to actually develop their own careers. And ICT is one such sector that has opened its doors to Afghan women. 

“But to empower women, you need to create an enabling environment,” points out Shireen Rahmani, a powerful voice in the industry who serves as the director of human resources at Roshan, one of Afghanistan’s largest telecom companies. “Policies should cater to the Afghan women’s needs so as to encourage them to want to come forward,” she adds. 

Indeed, the needs and challenges of the working Afghan women are much different that of those around the world. Years of war and extremist rule has deprived most women of their basic rights, and although there has been some development in the last decade and half, there still much left to be done. For instance, something as simple as travelling to work and back is a matter of concern to companies in Afghanistan that hire women. “A career in technology often allows women to work from home,” the First Lady pointed out encouragingly. “World of technology is an ideal place for Afghan women to shine,” she says.

However, another problem Afghan women face is with the privilege of access. Despite conflicting “official figures”,  it is a fact that their access to technology remains restricted. “Men in their families often don’t allow the women to own a smartphone or access social media,” admits Omar Mansoor Ansari, president of TechNation, the organisation behind the Summit. To which, Najila Habibyar, a World Bank representative, raised the question, “If families don’t provide support to the women in technology, how can policies help?”

But even as industry stakeholders debated the future of women in technology, what intrigued most of the participants, and perhaps, had a much larger impact, was the ‘App Exhibition’ that was being held alongside the talks.

Several young women sat with their laptops and displays on tables laid across the foyer, showcasing digital and mobile applications they had developed.

“TechWomen Afghanistan was first in a series of events that we’ve planned,” informs Kamini Menon, managing editor at TechNation. “We plan to have capacity building, trainings and similar conferences for women in technology, apart from this summit that will now be an annual event,” she informs.

And so, as the gathering in India concluded with an acknowledgement of women's potential in technology, the one in Afghanistan set a direction for a road ahead for the many young girls who left the summit a little more determined about their future in technology.