WomenInTech. "IT is a unique field with the best conditions for women," — stories of successful girls from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Makhliyo Muksinova, City — Tashkent, Director of Export Development, IT Park Uzbekistan

About Me

I am the Director of Export Development at IT Park Uzbekistan. My task is to promote Uzbekistan as a new global service provider and help international ITES companies establish their outsourcing business in Uzbekistan. Each new foreign company brings new jobs, business environment development, and increased recognition and trust in the country on the global stage. As a patriot, mother, daughter, and wife, I spare no energy, strength, or time to contribute to the development of our homeland. I sincerely believe that our country has great potential.

Alongside work and family, I try to make time to reduce the gender gap in the IT sector and ITES services. This topic is relevant worldwide, but having gone through life difficulties and cultural nuances, I want to embrace and say: “You can do it! Don’t stop!” to every girl starting her professional journey, and “I am so proud of you and admire you!” to every woman who has achieved success. I am also a member of the Advisory Board of Women in Tech Uzbekistan and often speak at events dedicated to women in tech.

I was born in the city of Fergana and moved to the capital at the age of 16 after entering the academic lyceum at the International Westminster University in Tashkent. I always knew that I would dedicate my professional path to the development of the country. In 2016, during my third year of university, I started an internship at the Center for the Development of the E-Government in the department for optimizing business processes. The work was interesting; we studied the internal procedures of government agencies and, using IT, proposed optimized versions of their processes. After one month of internship, I was hired, and that was the start of my career.

It was not easy to stay true to my chosen professional path, as the salary for a first-category specialist working half-time was critically low, insufficient even for basic expenses. Alongside my fourth-year studies and work, I took on part-time jobs at a flower shop during holidays and worked in a call center during vacations and breaks. However, faith in the correctness of my chosen path, inspiration from opportunities, and the government’s attention to the ICT sector helped me continue working in the public sector.

My career developed actively; I changed jobs several times but always remained within the structure of the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, formerly the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies. I grew professionally, and in 2019, when the IT Park Uzbekistan project was just beginning, I joined the team.

How I Entered the IT Profession

The IT Park Uzbekistan project inspired me because, in 2019, its idea seemed ambitious, and I have always loved complex challenges. I was especially inspired by the CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan, Farhad Zairovich Ibragimov. When we talked, his eyes sparkled with the project, and it was clear that this was more than just a job. At that moment, I realized that the project would have a soul, and we would always set a high bar and grow.

More than five years have passed, and I have held various positions. I started as a manager in the resident relations department. The first residents of IT Park Uzbekistan were registered through me. Then I went on maternity leave, but after six months, I partially returned to work, managing several educational projects. A year later, I fully returned to work as Deputy CEO for Education Development. I paid special attention to engaging women in IT. For example, I initiated a project for inclusive education for girls with disabilities in STEM fields in four regions of the republic, launched a project with UNDP aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills in IT for women, and initiated a project with OSCE to train girls from Karakalpakstan in IT. Each educational project took into account the need to address the gender gap in IT. In 2023, when IT Park Uzbekistan underwent transformation and the organization’s main task became the development of ITES services and IT product exports, I was appointed Director of Export Development.

About Stereotypes

I can say unequivocally that I was lucky: along my career path, I encountered only open-minded mentors and leaders who motivated me, highlighted my strengths, and helped me overcome fears. In the digital technology sector, it seems there is the greatest support and practical assistance for women in finding their calling in IT, opening all paths for career growth. I am confident that it is precisely due to the luck of being in this field that I have my own perspective and stand firmly on my feet today. Nevertheless, I have also had to face stereotypes and difficulties.

My mother worked at different stages of her life but did not strive for career growth, as many women with an Asian mindset do, preferring to dedicate herself to her children. My family instilled in me an education, but resilience was shaped by life itself. During my upbringing, I faced many problems and lost my father early. Unfortunately, society often made me feel inferior: because I was a girl, because I was from the regions, and because I grew up without a father. I was offended and cried like all girls, but I always moved forward. Sometimes I still feel judged for being a “bad mom because I work too much.” But one good colleague told me that if I worry about whether I am a good mom, then I already am one.

Another stereotype I see in society and try to always highlight is the belief that only programmers work in IT. There is a place for everyone in IT. Those who are more creative can become graphic or 3D designers, and those who are good at managing people, processes, and procedures can become project or product managers, and so on. There are many such positions, and everyone can find themselves in this field. For example, I have a bachelor’s degree in commercial law and a master’s degree in business analytics. IT is a unique field with the best conditions for women, where there is a place for any abilities and skills for any form of involvement.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Journey

It is too easy to give advice. There is quite a lot of advice on the internet, sometimes contradicting each other. Lessons are unfortunately learned only when you go through them. I would just share some life lessons I have learned; perhaps they will be useful to someone:

— be yourself. God created you as you are. Do not be afraid to show yourself. If something makes you happy, do not stop—observe, create

— if you can imagine something and dream about it, take action. Nothing is impossible. Just do not stop. Tired—slow down, but do not stop

— the most valuable thing you have is your life. Your most precious resource is time. Spend it so that, looking back, you are proud of yourself and your heart is warmed

— being a smart, educated person is critically important. But it is worth nothing without simple manifestations of humanity, kindness, and integrity

— it does not matter what you say if you do not do it. Act more, speak less. Act even if it is scary. Where it is scary is your point of growth.

Aidana Toktarkyzy, City — Almaty, Media Business, CEO, @pr_ptichkakz

About Me

I am a media manager with ten years of experience. Currently, I lead a company within the MOST holding. We are responsible for MOST’s image, its communication channels, handle marketing, and organize annual business events. What distinguishes us from other corporate media departments is that we are quite autonomous, so we implement various projects for the market as well. We mainly work in our niche—venture funds, startups, investors, and IT companies.

I studied journalism, and from the fifth grade, I knew I would work in this field. In my senior years, I attended the MediaNet journalism school, wrote stories, and learned to write news. I even managed to become the host of a music program on the “Tan” TV channel for a short time. All this helped me build a good portfolio and easily enter my desired faculty. After graduating from university, I worked for six years in various publications—as a journalist, executive editor, and editor-in-chief. I deliberately chose different media outlets to learn to write in several genres. In lifestyle publications, I interviewed celebrities and housewives, while in news and socio-political portals, I learned to write quality investigations, find news hooks, and understand the agenda. I believe that journalism strengthened my character and taught me to quickly orient myself in reality. It is dynamic work, but at some point, I got tired of such a fast pace and could not handle the details of all bloody cases, crimes, and so on. At that moment, I decided to move into a related field—communications. Thus, I became a PR manager and started working with financial institutions, officials, and private companies.

How I Entered the IT Profession

I entered IT by chance. After the pandemic, I gave myself a few months for mental recovery; I wanted to travel and simply live. I had just returned from my trip to Bukhara and Khiva when Mirat Akhmetsadikov, Managing Partner of MOST, invited me for an interview. I had not applied for this vacancy and, in general, was not in a hurry to return to work then, but the field seemed interesting to me. I was hired for the Communications Specialist position. At that time, MOST had nothing except an old logo and website. We were cramped in a small office in the microdistrict; there were five of us—managers, a lawyer, a financial director, and me. The license for opening a venture fund and the construction of the hub were all in progress. However, within a year, we grew so much that I was promoted to Director of Marketing and Communications, and a budget was allocated for a team. Thus, we formed a separate legal entity, MOST Media.

In the very beginning, all our focus was on incubator programs—up to three events per month, such as incubation, hackathons, and business breakfasts. Previously, I had a stereotype that working with people from the IT sector was difficult due to their closed nature, but this turned out to be a misconception. Our initiatives received an immediate response from the audience. These are motivated specialists who always and everywhere look for opportunities. Later, our communications became more layered—we needed to connect investors with startups and generate interest among the former. Overall, we needed to introduce a new niche, such as venture investment. Investors said that we were asking them to jump off the fifth floor by offering such risky investments. But step by step, all articles, interviews, podcasts, live streams, analytical materials, and press releases about deals began to remove the stigma, and many wealthy businessmen started coming to MOST themselves, asking how they could become business angels and how to enter the fund.

Many in the industry underestimate the power of media and various media channels, but this is actually what globally shapes the opinion of the majority and allows changing the rules of the game in any field.

About Stereotypes

In Central Asia, the most prominent stereotype is the image of the “proper” woman. Wherever you work, men believe that you should be compliant, always positive, calm, and patient. But in business, such qualities do not provide any advantages. Therefore, at the very beginning, I faced lectures on how I was too sharp or strongly defended my point of view, protected my personal boundaries, was demanding, and did not give leeway to colleagues and employees.

Obstacles for Women in IT

First. Many women believe that the entry barrier into IT is high: you need to study coding for a long time and search for a job. It is especially difficult for those with families, and allocating 10 hours a day for study, as men do, is an unaffordable luxury for moms. However, there are many related professions in this field. You can lead teams and processes without being a programmer. Therefore, I believe that women are sometimes hindered simply by a lack of information and the image of the IT community as a male brotherhood, which is mistakenly perceived as truth.

Second is undoubtedly the glass ceiling. Many women are afraid to ask for a raise and to lead people. For decades, we have been instilled with the image of strong men in business, while women traditionally play the role of secretaries or personal assistants. Today, the paradigm has shifted, and we need more female figures in business. I was once deeply inspired by Margaret Thatcher and Marie Curie as women who left their mark on history. Difficulties will always be there; otherwise, everything would not be so interesting. I perceive them as a new level of the game that needs to be overcome to become stronger, better, and higher.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Journey

Invest in yourself and your knowledge, do not be afraid to ask questions, do not put any limits in your head, and seek out professional communities. I believe in the statement that if you are the smartest person in the room, then, unfortunately, it is not your room. A person is a social being, and your future can be predicted by the people you communicate with on a regular basis. Persistence, hard work, the right people around you, and honesty always lead to results. Once, while being the editor-in-chief at a publication, I thought that this was my financial and career ceiling. But ahead lay so many new fields, achievements, and growth. You must never settle.