In Tashkent, the role of women in the development of AI was discussed

On September 25, the forum “Women & Artificial Intelligence: Inspire. Educate. Implement” took place in the capital of Uzbekistan, bringing together women leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs in the field of technology and AI. The event was held within the framework of ICT Week 2025 with the support of the GAP Women IT Union and IT Ladies projects, implemented by the Association of IT Education and aimed at supporting women in IT. The forum became a platform for exchanging knowledge, presenting successful cases, and discussing how artificial intelligence is transforming careers, education, and business.

Key speakers included Kamola Sobirova, Advisor to the Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ayumi Mori Aoki, Founder and CEO of Women in Tech Global, Shaima Kurz, General Director of Digital Advice Consulting, as well as leading experts from Uzbekistan and Central Asia. According to Kamola Sobirova, the goal of the forum is to demonstrate that women have enormous potential in the IT sector and to create opportunities for them.

The program concluded with the premiere of the video project Woman’s Path, which reflected the journey of women in the world of technology and their contribution to the digital future.

Initiatives such as GAP Women IT Union and IT Ladies play a key role in implementing the Digital Uzbekistan 2030 strategy. The forum became part of the global movement for digital equality and an important step toward strengthening Uzbekistan’s international cooperation with the expert community in the field of artificial intelligence and digital innovations.

In recent years, the country has seen significant progress: if in 2018, about 3,300 girls studied ICT-related fields in Uzbek universities, by 2024, their number exceeded 17,700. Over the past two years, the GAP project has reached more than 1,000 participants across the republic, many of whom are already employed or undergoing internships at leading companies. At the same time, Uzbekistan has strengthened its positions in international rankings, rising from 87th to 63rd place in the UN E-Government Index and improving its performance in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index. These achievements confirm the growing demand for IT specialists and highlight the strategic importance of involving women in the technology sector.