WomenInTech. "There is a significant shortage of women in the IT industry," — girls from Central Asia on careers in IT

Shokhista Ergasheva, City — Tashkent, IT, technical product manager, Instagram

About Me

I am a lifelong learner who strives to learn something new every day. I am a working mother of two wonderful girls, balancing family responsibilities with career growth and continuous self-development. Currently, I hold the position of technical product manager at a logistics company operating in the US market.

Aside from my main job, I am actively developing the Bolajonim project with my team, which we successfully presented in the TechWomen2024 program and received a grant for its implementation. My goal is to inspire girls and women in Uzbekistan who were not initially connected with IT and are still wondering if they can combine family life and become professionals in this challenging field. I want them to believe in their strength, master technical professions, and successfully develop in this sphere, even if they have a family and children.

How I Entered the IT Profession

I graduated from the Turin Polytechnic University with a degree in Civil and Industrial Construction and Architecture. However, after graduation, it turned out to be difficult to find a job in my specialty. I sent out resumes and personally left them in construction and architectural companies across the country. The response everywhere was the same: “We will contact you later,” but no calls ever came. The companies required a portfolio, despite the fact that I was just starting my career and looking for my first job.

My first job was not related to my specialty—I worked as a project coordinator in the public sector. This position lasted only three months. It seemed to me that my efforts were undervalued and that the results of my work did not matter to management. But now I understand that this experience was an important stage for which I am grateful.

After a two-year break in my career, which can be said never really started, I gradually began to immerse myself in the IT sphere. My husband helped me in this, as his professional activities inspired me. At first, I learned from him, performed small tasks, and then, thanks to self-study and participation in freelance projects, I gained confidence and some valuable, albeit small, experience. It was these steps that allowed me to receive a grant for master’s studies.

With my admission to the master’s program at Innopolis University, often called the Russian “Silicon Valley,” my journey in IT began. These years became a real breakthrough. Surrounded by young, talented specialists who knew more than I did at that time, I studied hard while raising my two-year-old daughter. I am grateful to Innopolis for the immersion in IT, new acquaintances with international colleagues, and the opportunity to radically change my professional field.

At the university, I won a free course in frontend development, which allowed me to officially receive a technical education. During my master’s studies, I developed both technical skills (“programming, testing, architectural design”) and “soft” skills, including project management and effective communication. These skills helped me master new technologies and become an expert in managing IT projects.

I found my first official job in IT right at Innopolis, where I worked for two years. One of the most significant stages was participating in an international team working on the development and analysis of software quality metrics based on the analysis of developer behavior. Within the framework of this project, I became the author of more than 15 articles indexed in Scopus and gained my first years of experience in project management.

Thanks to the environment of talented specialists, I was inspired by their example and set ambitious goals for myself. The environment and the people around us play a huge role in our development, and I tried to extract the maximum from these opportunities.

About Stereotypes

Throughout my career, I have often heard about stereotypes related to gender. For example, employees often say that the percentage of women hired with the prospect of potentially going on maternity leave is quite low. Fortunately, I personally have not faced gender discrimination. But I am concerned about the fact that there is a significant shortage of women in the IT industry.

I always try to support girls and women in STEM fields, but I have to admit that in my country, as in Central Asia as a whole, women are often undervalued. Many of them have already accepted this fact and do not even consider technical professions for themselves. In this regard, many events and free courses aimed exclusively at girls are currently being held in Uzbekistan.

I have proven through my own experience that it is possible to combine career and family. I went to another country to study for a master’s degree in IT, taking my two-year-old child with me. I managed to handle family responsibilities, distribute my time wisely, set priorities, and achieve goals. These two years of study became a period of huge personal and career growth, despite the fact that it was one of the most difficult and “tearful” stages in my life.

If a woman wants to be part of the IT industry and at the same time combine her career with family responsibilities, she will definitely succeed. Women are naturally capable of multitasking, and they can achieve success while holding a child in one hand and a textbook in the other.

Obstacles for Women in IT

After participating in the program in the US with young leaders from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, I realized that all women in STEM, including IT, face difficulties with believing in their skills and experience. Even with the same level of qualification as men, women often doubt themselves and face imposter syndrome. Usually, they lack support from those around them and society.

I myself have faced such difficulties, and they continue to appear to this day. But I try to find support in my family and always learn something new. When you master new knowledge, you become more confident. I try to focus on my strengths: reflecting on the work done and concentrating on goals helps reduce anxiety and doubts.

Although I am not a fan of public speaking, I always try to challenge myself and use every opportunity to speak in public. This, as I have realized, helps to build confidence, because in practice you can make mistakes, but at the same time gain valuable experience. And experience is something you can truly be proud of.

In the end, all the ups and downs will remain in memory as important stages that make our life beautiful and meaningful.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Path

My main recommendation is not to be afraid of difficulties and be ready to find your own path, even if it is not immediately obvious. When I graduated from university, I faced difficulties in finding a job in my field. Many companies required a portfolio, which a graduate naturally does not have. But instead of giving up, I looked for opportunities, tried myself in other roles, and used this experience as a stepping stone for further development.

If you are starting a career, it is important:

1. Not to be afraid to change direction. Sometimes what you studied may not match your current interests or the labor market situation.
2. Self-education and new skills. In the modern world, there are quite a lot of opportunities for learning—online courses, freelancing, free programs. Independent study of IT basics helped me gain experience and confidence.
3. Seek support. The support of family, friends, or mentors plays a huge role. My husband became my support when I was taking my first steps in IT.
4. Use every experience. Even if the job is not related to your dream, it can still give you valuable skills. My experience working in the public sector taught me to organize processes and helped me understand what I want from my career.
5. Be persistent. There may be failures at the beginning of the path, but it is important to keep moving forward. Over time, all your efforts and endeavors will bear fruit.

Remember that your career path is not a straight line. Sometimes you have to try different directions to find what is truly yours. And the main thing is to believe in yourself and not be afraid to start over.

Korkemai Myrzabaeva, City — Atyrau, Automation and Process Control, Instagram

About Me

I am a third-year student at APEC Petrotechnic Higher College majoring in “Automation and Control.” Currently, I am actively preparing for the selection for the EuroSkills Denmark 2025 championship in the Industrial Control specialization. I also participated in the WorldSkills Kazakhstan 2024 national championship.

How I Entered the IT Profession

My path began even in my first year, when I opened my physics club, taught students, and helped them solve problems. Then I decided not to stop and worked as a physics tutor at Prep.kz, where I taught schoolchildren. In my second year, an opportunity opened up for me to participate in WorldSkills championships, and I decided to test myself. At first, it was difficult because the championship required both physical strength and a broad range of knowledge.

Competing among guys was something stressful and difficult for me, but despite this, I managed to win and prove that there is no place for gender stereotypes in such specialties.

I was inspired to enter this field by my father. When I decided to enroll in APEC Petrotechnic, he advised me to choose this specialty, saying that it has a great future. Over time, I myself became fascinated by my profession and now I do not regret my choice at all.

About Stereotypes

Recently, at the Atyrau 2024 regional WorldSkills championship, one of my competitors said that he did not consider girls as worthy competitors, believing that they were not meant for physical work. These words hurt my pride, but after my victory, he admitted: “You are the only girl I have ever respected as a competitor.”

I am sure that thanks to this victory, we took a small but significant step toward equality. Even such small victories become part of big changes and successes.

Obstacles for Women in IT

The only difficulty I have faced is physical fatigue. My profession requires considerable physical effort, as our work involves using complex tools, performing tasks such as assembling panels, operation, installation work, and programming. I had to learn to work with an angle grinder, a drill, and various electrical tools.

Despite all the physical loads, I was motivated by the results, new knowledge, and experience that I acquired in the process.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Path

First of all, you need to approach the choice of specialty wisely. Do not pay attention to other people’s words and advice if they go against your desires. Choose the specialty that will truly appeal to you, because it is with it that you will work and build your life.

Secondly, it is important to use every opportunity that presents itself. Each of them can become a step toward your success. Even if the result is not immediately noticeable, it will allow you to gain valuable experience and new knowledge, which will always be your advantage.