“Under the financial support program of private IT schools Tech Orda, 3,067 students received grants, 39% of whom are women. Women make up 61% of our technology park staff and hold 63% of the leadership positions. This shows that in today's world, the gender balance in the labor market is changing. If a few years ago the IT area was considered purely male, in the current reality IT specialties are not tied to gender”, said Magzhan Madiev, CEO of Astana Hub.

Most of the female-led startups in the Astana Hub ecosystem are aimed at the development of the social sphere and EdTech. For example, a social startup Ozim Platform, founded by Assem Tazhiyeva, provides educational and informational support to families with children with special needs through a mobile application, YouTube channel, and social networks.

Laura Vaigorova, CEO of SmarTestPrep, successfully develops an automated platform for preparing for international exams and a recommendation system, which, like Spotify or Netflix, recommends the user the most appropriate university and program based on data from a list of 50,000 universities and scholarships.

Aigerim Issatayeva, CEO of the Qonzhyq App project, launched a mobile app to revive folklore and develop the Kazakh language. The goal is to inspire the younger generation and ignite interest in Kazakh national music, literature, culture, traditions, and language.

Services of information and navigation system Citix, the largest DOOH network of smart boards, headed by Yana Shoibekova, are used in Turkey and the UAE. Citix is ranked by the National Agency for Technological Development as one of the “Top 10 Innovative Projects in Kazakhstan”.

“It has already been proven by the experience of many companies that businesses that support gender balance of employees are more successful. I am sure that the active participation of women in the development of the IT industry will help bring the industry to a new level. For sustainable economic growth it is necessary to develop the capacity of society, to get rid of stereotypes, to support, provide mentoring, inspire more women to train and work in information technology and increase wages”, said Alina Abdrakhmanova, managing director of the Astana Hub. 

The annual need for ICT personnel in Kazakhstan is about 30 thousand people. Now 31% of IT specialists in the country are women. Astana Hub participants note that women in management positions are associated with better managerial behavior, provide firms with information and social advantages, and motivate women in middle management positions. To learn more about how Kazakhstani women are building their IT startups, please visit the YouTube channel of Astana Hub.