Over 1,000 participants, educational programs, and mentorship: 2025 Year in Review for Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan

Strategy and Development

Aliya Chynybayeva, Director of Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan, LinkedIn

In 2025, we achieved several key results.

First, our active audience grew by more than 1,000 active participants who regularly engage in all events and trainings, demonstrating a high level of involvement and a desire to contribute to our community.

Together with the Asia-Pacific Training Centre, supported by ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) and the Ministry of Digitalization of Kyrgyzstan, we conducted a three-day training for future trainers. There were over 100 applications, from which we selected the 50 most active participants with experience in entrepreneurship and teaching. This was necessary for the first stage, in which they successfully completed the training and received certificates to further disseminate knowledge in the second stage of the project. Thus, the first stage of the program was completed in 2025.

In the second stage, our trainers will travel to the regions and conduct similar trainings for community members outside the capital.

Another important achievement is supporting women in IT through coaching. Together with the Coaching Association of Kyrgyzstan and ICF, we conducted a series of coaching sessions aimed at finding a balance between work, personal life, and family. Participants were able to prioritize and define their personal and professional goals.

Events and Projects

Aijan Chynybayeva, Government Relations Director at Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan, Instagram

In 2025, we held numerous events: NASA Challenge, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a trainer-of-trainers workshop, the Wi-Fi DX project, and an event for March 8th in collaboration with "Bizdin Ayymdar." Community members also traveled to Almaty, where they became members of the jury for the Women in Tech CCA Awards 2025 and submitted their projects for nominations.

For us, as a new community, 2025 was a busy and important year—each event helped highlight the role of women in science, IT, and other fields.

Successful Cases

Kanykei Kazakbaeva, Innovation Director at Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan, LinkedIn

In Kyrgyzstan and the Central Asian region, the influence of women's mentoring initiatives aimed at supporting girls in leadership, education, and professional development is growing. One notable example is the Girls for Girls program—a community and mentoring platform created by women for women.

Girls for Girls was founded by three young leaders: Aikanysh, Salkynai, and Nuraiym, who recognized an urgent need to support girls during career choice, self-realization, and building self-confidence. The program began as a local initiative in Kyrgyzstan but has transformed over a few years into a sustainable mentoring model reaching girls across Central Asia.

Zyldyz Isabeikova, Country Director of Accelerate Prosperity Kyrgyzstan, plays a vital role in developing women's leadership and international cooperation. Her professional activities focus on developing the startup ecosystem, supporting inclusive development, education, and empowering women and girls.

Challenges

Sani Saykal Alaybekova, Public Relations Director at Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan, Instagram

Since we are still gaining momentum in Kyrgyzstan, it was difficult at the start to find sustainable funding. All events for participants are completely free, so it was important for us to secure support from organizations interested in the development of women in IT. 

Today, we are actively seeking permanent partners. We have already received support from the Ministry of Digitalization and several organizations willing to invest in large-scale projects.

The second challenge is the lack of time among participants. We always strive to schedule events so that most can participate.

The third challenge is the language barrier. In the capital, most people speak Russian and English, whereas in the regions, this remains a significant obstacle. In 2026, we plan to conduct trainings in the regions with trainers who speak Kyrgyz. All materials will be translated into Kyrgyz so that participants from the regions can fully access all necessary information.

Educational Initiatives

Nargiza Mendekayeva, Regional Network Development Director at Women In Tech Kyrgyzstan

We have a Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan channel for community members, where we share information about all trainings we host, as well as those held by our partners and other Women in Tech chapters. Participants can join these trainings for free and receive quality education.

We see that practical knowledge and skills are particularly important for our women, so they actively participate in all initiatives. Often, the main barrier is budget, especially at the beginning of an IT career when salaries are still low and opportunities are limited. That is why each proven educational program represents a step toward a participant's dream: professional growth, a decent income, and full participation in the community.

Adeim Chynybayeva, Marketing Director at Women in Tech Kyrgyzstan, Instagram

The most popular IT fields among participants in 2025 were AI, data analytics, and time management. Time management is especially important since many participants balance study, work, and personal life. Skills in project management, unit economics, and development are also in high demand. These areas help participants increase productivity and develop professionally.

Plans

Ruzali Tokmergenova, Event Director at Women in Tech, Instagram

In 2026, we have big plans. Key preparations are related to the second stage of the Wi-Fi DX training, supported by ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) and the Ministry of Digitalization of Kyrgyzstan. The program will be implemented in the regions of the country and conducted by our trainers. This requires serious preparation, including addressing the language barrier and securing funding.

The second important project is joint English language courses with Oxford for our participants. They will help overcome the language barrier, as the IT field primarily uses English, allowing participants to access knowledge from primary sources and apply it in practice.

Another initiative is smart-meetings, where participants will form groups, set monthly goals, and work toward achieving them. Throughout the month, there will be regular meetings to discuss challenges and successes, as well as support from mentors and the community.

In addition, we will traditionally hold events for March 8th and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and launch new programs that we plan to develop in the future.