WomenInTech. "In IT, skills and results are what matter," — women from Kyrgyzstan on the role of women in the industry

Clara Sarayeva, city — Bishkek, frontend development team lead, Instagram

About me

Currently, I am the frontend development team lead at DevCats. Our team is developing the "O!Market" marketplace, which has become part of the "My O! Bank" mobile ecosystem.

My role includes not only developing user interfaces but also participating in discussions on architectural decisions, improving team processes, and mentoring colleagues.

How I entered the IT profession

The decision to build a career in IT came to me spontaneously. After finishing school, I hesitated for a long time about choosing a profession. My parents suggested becoming a diplomat or a linguist, but since I was strong in technical sciences, I decided to challenge myself and go into IT, even though I was not a confident PC user.

The most difficult part for me was studying at university, as the subjects were hard for me to grasp. It was the hardest to study during the quarantine period. Against this background, there was a great fear that with my knowledge and lack of experience, I would not be able to find an internship in the profession. But thanks to discipline and hard work, I managed to graduate from university with a red diploma (honors), and after the very first interview, I was accepted for an internship at my previous company.

I consider myself a meticulous person, and it is important for me to take into account all the details and ensure that the work is done well. I think this approach was appreciated by management, which is why, a year after working in the company during the most difficult period for the team, I was appointed as a team lead. At that time, we had chaos in our processes and no clear areas of responsibility, so I took on organizing the work, supervised tasks, and brought order to the processes. This helped the team work more efficiently, improved the quality of work, and allowed us to release important updates on time, ensuring stability and product development.

One of the significant events in my career was participating in the Perspektywy Women in Tech summit in Poland in 2022. I won a grant to participate, which allowed me to present myself in the international IT community, meet leading industry specialists, and learn about advanced technologies and trends. This was a valuable experience that not only broadened my professional horizons but also inspired me to further develop in IT.

In IT, in addition to technical knowledge, attention to detail, the ability to analyze information, and the ability to adapt to changes have been especially valuable to me. It is important not just to write code, but to see the big picture, understand how individual elements of the system interact with each other. In addition, my ability to communicate effectively and work in a team has helped me — this is a key factor for the successful implementation of any projects. I developed these skills in practice by solving complex tasks, interacting with colleagues, and finding ways to make processes more convenient and productive.

About stereotypes

In university, the ratio of girls to boys in my group was 1 to 5. Some teachers justified this by saying that girls find technical subjects harder. I often encountered the fact that such stereotypes sometimes influenced the attitude towards students. When I received good grades, I sometimes doubted: were they the result of my hard work, or was I just pitied, considering the number of such jokes and stereotypes. This sometimes caused a feeling of insecurity, but I tried not to pay attention and continued to work at full capacity.

Over time, I realized that it is important to trust yourself and your potential, rather than those who try to put labels on you.

My main advice is not to be afraid to start and not to doubt yourself. In the IT field, as in any other, it is important to understand that no one comes with perfect knowledge and skills. I know that girls starting their journey in IT may sometimes feel that the requirements for the position are too high, especially if some of them do not match their experience. But I believe that the main thing is not to give up, seek support, and not be afraid to ask for help. Success in this field requires patience, perseverance, and faith in oneself.

Recommendations for those just starting their journey

To grow in IT, it is important to take a comprehensive approach — learn not only theory but also immediately apply knowledge in practice. I recommend continuing education through online courses and platforms, and for female developers, also paying attention to reading books on programming and design, such as Clean Code or The Pragmatic Programmer. 

It is also important to keep up with new trends in technology through blogs, podcasts, and scientific publications. And of course, participation in various meetups and conferences, which allow not only to exchange experience but also to find like-minded people and continue to grow professionally.

It is important to create a supportive atmosphere in which women can communicate, exchange experience, and see examples of successful women in IT. Mentoring and women's professional communities play an important role in this process. In addition, it is necessary to break down stereotypes and demonstrate that IT is a field accessible to everyone, regardless of gender. The more women see successful examples and receive support, the easier it will be for them to take the first steps in this profession and achieve success.

Alina Kadyralieva, city — Bishkek, UX/UI direction team lead, LinkedIn

About me

I have been a UX/UI designer and team lead at Bakai Bank since 2023, where I lead the design direction in the corporate segment. Over the past year, we launched two FinTech products from scratch — Bakai Business and BakAi, which entered the top apps in Kyrgyzstan according to App Store and Google Play.

I came to Bakai Bank with basic knowledge about the banking sector — before that, I worked in EdTech and telecom. But despite the complex processes, I managed to cope thanks to a great team.

My role is to launch products from scratch in several iterations, develop a design system, and establish processes.

Recently, I have also started developing my startup Smart House — an AI platform in the real estate and mortgage sector, currently at the Pre-Seed stage.

How I entered the IT profession

My path into IT cannot be called obvious. Since childhood, I was involved in music, but after leaving the conservatory, I wondered: "What do I really like and what am I good at?" This question led me to my first e-commerce startup, where I first learned about different directions in IT. My supervisor then not only gave me a job but showed me that I could be not only an executor but also a person who creates solutions.

The biggest challenge for me was the lack of a clear roadmap — there was no clear scheme to follow. I had to learn on the go, accumulate experience, and gradually find confidence in myself.

The largest projects to date are the launch of Bakai Business and Bakai 24. There are several more releases ahead.

Another important challenge is communication. Until 2024, I had a fear of public speaking, but the Dive into Silicon Valley program became my personal breakthrough. It was there that I first presented my startup Smart House, passed the selection on the first try, and became the only participant at the Pre-Seed stage, realizing that I could confidently speak about my ideas.

Systematicity is necessary in this field — it is a structural approach to everything: from research hypotheses to documentation. In the early stages of my career, I focused on hard skills, but over time I realized that the ability to listen and negotiate is the key to effective work. Flexibility and critical thinking help to quickly and qualitatively make decisions in conditions of uncertainty.

About stereotypes

Honestly, I have not directly encountered stereotypes. In IT, skills and results matter.

But I am concerned about the low conversion rate of women in this field. For example, at startup competitions, you often have to compete with men who are several times more experienced — both in IT and in entrepreneurship. 

Recommendations for those just starting their journey

Be open to new knowledge and always work with love for your craft. Do not wait for the perfect moment — you will never be 100% ready, so do not be afraid to start right now. Show courage: everything most interesting begins after the words "this is difficult" or "I can't do it." Share real stories without illusions and myths about "overnight success." It is important to create communities where women receive support and exchange experience. And, of course, invest in education — IT is not just code, but also creativity and product solutions.

I recommend effective resources and approaches for learning in IT. An excellent start would be courses from the Uprock design studio — they help improve UX/UI design skills through practice and working with real cases. It is definitely worth studying all the books by Bureau Gorbunov — this is a foundation for everyone who works with texts, interfaces, and information structure. And most importantly — practice: create real projects, even if they are pet projects at the start.