WomenInTech. Successful women in IT talk about how their journey began and how to overcome stereotypes.

Professional women in the IT field shared their career development stories.

Agis Kankabayeva, city — Almaty, CEO of red_mad_robot Central Asia

How I entered the IT field

I studied to become a programmer-mathematician. I studied programming languages and wrote my thesis on software development.

My career began as an IT instructor at the "Information Systems" department at Kostanay State University. Then, I worked for over 16 years in the financial sector at three major Kazakh banks: BTA Bank, Sberbank, and Alfa-Bank. I was recognized as an Honored Financier of Kazakhstan and received numerous awards for various achievements.
After Alfa-Bank exited the Kazakh market, we founded our own IT company, which became a digital partner for the financial sector in Central Asia.

On stereotypes

It is not easy for a woman to build a career. I never aimed to be a top manager or a high-ranking executive. I simply tried to always do my job well. Managers highly valued my successes, offered me higher positions, and made promising offers.

Barriers for women in IT

Female specialists always need a little more time to prove their knowledge. I rarely encountered such stereotypes — perhaps because I consider myself a "go-getter" by nature.

I did not face major obstacles, but I can say that it took me more time and effort to develop my career than it would have for a man with my skills and knowledge.

Recommendations for those just starting their journey

For those just beginning their career path, I would advise:

1. Believe in yourself and your abilities.
2. Choose what you truly enjoy and want to do. Do not go where there is no joy and inspiration.
3. Do not be afraid of new tasks and take on more responsibility. The actions you take at the initial stage will definitely bear fruit in the future.

Dinara Bakirova, city — Bishkek, software engineer, director of the IT company Peaksoft House

About the company

We at Peaksoft House have been teaching people to program for over three years. We also engage in outsourced software and product development.

How I entered the IT field

After school, I wanted to become a hacker. I entered the Polytechnic Institute to study programming, but after graduation, I worked as a physics teacher in a school. After a five-year break, I decided to return to IT. I trained in frontend development through courses. I got a job as a mentor for an internship while simultaneously working on development. Thanks to my developed communication skills, I moved into management: for the last three years, I have been managing processes in the company.

On stereotypes

When applying to university, my father said that it was a difficult profession and that I should go into journalism instead. But I stood my ground and entered a program where there were 3 girls and 25 boys in my group.

At school and university, many doubted my choice. All because of the stereotype that programming is a "male" profession. Colleagues, relatives, and even my husband spoke about the difficulties and expressed doubts about the prospects of this path. But I know that true desire and determination can overcome any stereotypes. The IT field is so diverse that every woman will find a suitable profession for herself.

Barriers for women in IT

It will be difficult for everyone who wants to master the profession of an IT specialist. And even more so for women. In our country, girls have to manage feeding their children, doing housework, pleasing everyone. And at the same time, work, study, and develop.

The most important thing in the entire process is the support of family, husband, and relatives. From my own experience, I know that to advance in your career, you need to do your work wholeheartedly, enjoy it, and constantly improve your skills.

Recommendations for those just starting their journey

Do not give up and believe in yourself. Improve your skills, especially soft skills. Achieve your set goals no matter what. This is possible with strong discipline and desire.