How women are coming to the forefront of tech in Bangladesh

PHOTO Credit: Anna Parini

In the era of technological advancements, Bangladesh is keeping up with global trends in exploring the plethora of opportunities made available through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and an overall digital transformation. In doing so, more and more women are participating  in this sector, a positive phenomenon formerly less seen in this field. Subsequently, this Women's Day, we explore the sector and the advancements and obstacles made and faced by the women of our tomorrow.

While delving into the reasons behind the under-representation of women in tech, the sheer number of interested female students in this sector proved not to be a reason. Being a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Afsara Benazir said, "From my school days, I had a passion for Mathematics and Physics and my interest in these subjects pushed me to choose engineering and I aspire to be a professional in the ICT sector." While the interest was always there, the social cues which mark women unfit for the job, coupled with the lack of empowering and networking platforms proved to be a barrier for many who wanted to pursue a career in this sector. However, all of this has drastically changed for the better in the past couple of years.

A growing number of organisations have emerged, helping women across Bangladesh in reaching their goals. The Bangladesh Women in Technology (BWIT) has a dedicated platform aimed at promoting women in the technology industry through training and a wide range of networking opportunities, with the members being women who are ICT entrepreneurs and professionals in the ICT, computer science, EEE, robotics and mechatronics sector. Moreover, BASIS Women's Forum (BWF), an initiative by the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), empowers women regardless of educational background to help them pursue a career in ICT. TechBeez, which connects aspiring female students in STEM with female leads in the industry, enables enhanced career opportunities while inspiring many. While women have been under-represented in the ICT industry for years, these initiatives aim at bridging the gap and enforcing an era of superior ICT industry boom.

Moreover, there are countless government initiatives, aided further by the 'Digital Bangladesh' agenda which empowers women throughout. Institutes such as Bangladesh Korea Institute of Information and Communication Technology (BKIICT) and Bangladesh Computer Council have taken initiatives to provide opportunities and support for women in the country.

Bangladesh Network Operators Group provides enhanced training workshops and conferences, with the World Bank aiding women entrepreneurs and professionals financially. Furthermore, government projects like the 'She Power Project' starting from 2018 under the ICT division and WiFi Program trained and provided internships and jobs to thousands. Moreover, there are countless workshops and training seminars held across the country to ensure women's participation in ICT.

Despite all the empowering platforms available, a certain degree of obstacles persists. "If I had one word to describe it, it would be 'prejudice'", said Mitrasree Deb, an IT consultant at Fujitsu Research Institute, Tokyo. She added, "Even in this era, people are full of judgement and even though we ignore it most times, it lingers as an underlying reason for being overly self-conscious as an individual. These can greatly affect mental health and overall personal and career growth in the long run if you let it get to you." Criticism and judgements entailing common questions like "Won't this job be tough for you as a woman?" from people all around sometimes become overwhelming regardless of how much you ignore the noise. Moreover, male dominance still persists to a certain degree as the addition of women professionals in IT is still a newly circulated phenomenon. The issue of the gender pay gap is an unfortunate reality in certain places with employment often being influenced by your gender.  

It is true however that all advancements come with overcoming hardships and that's exactly what women have been doing successfully throughout the years, inspiring more and more young ones along the way. "The main solution was confidence and patience. As soon as I started to believe in myself, I started to enjoy my job. There were instances of lingering criticism. However, the support from my family and environment at the office helped me greatly", said Supriya Imon Swati, Principal Officer at the IT Division of Dhaka Bank Limited. Newcomers should keep in mind that curiosity goes a long way and learning new things every day aid in their career advancement greatly. Moreover, there are hundreds of real-life success stories around us and taking inspiration from these female role models act as effective motivators in the long run. While there are years of internalised and blatant patriarchy to fight, it is important to believe in yourself rather than in the noise of what people perceive your capabilities to be.

To summarise, with the emergence of women empowerment organisations and the right kind of shift towards a more open, equal and inclusive work environment in general, the future shows promise. Even though the current scenario shows a ratio of female to male personnel holding senior positions to still be quite less, the increasing number of female students in ICT and STEM (science, engineering, technology, and mathematics) act as proponents of an emerging even ratio ahead. Hence, with the right kind of guidance and suitable environment, women can continue to change history through increased participation in IT with their hard work and determination, thereby becoming invaluable gems of the impending Fourth Industrial Revolution ahead.