Applications are accepted until June 24th via the link.

Expanding women's access to digital technologies will not only strengthen their economic opportunities but also improve their position in the labor market. Currently, women are significantly underrepresented in the field of technology and IT worldwide, which is due, in part, to the lack of relevant technical skills and the influence of existing social norms and gender expectations.

The National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan actively promotes the initiative "Digital Economy for Women" as through commission programs and initiatives to develop digital skills, women will be able to enhance their competitiveness in the labor market, earn decent wages, and realize their professional potential.

"Kazakhstan is highly developed in terms of digitalization; our Egov system ranks 28th among 198 countries globally, 1st among CIS and Central Asian countries. The IT education system in our country is dynamically evolving, so girls and women have all the opportunities for realization in technological industries" noted Aziza Shuzheeva, a member of the National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The National Commission has developed a plan of events to increase women's incomes by expanding their economic opportunities and engaging them in productive employment. In 2023, in collaboration with Astana Hub, the first cohort of the IT-Aiel project was launched, aimed at enhancing digital competencies of unemployed individuals and women on maternity leave.

"Last year, within the IT-Aiel program, 2634 women from all over Kazakhstan applied, aiming to change their lives through IT. Among them were over 900 unemployed women, over 400 mothers on maternity leave, 500 students, and 700 self-employed women. Graduates of the first cohort were able to create their own IT products, such as websites and applications, which was an important step towards their financial independence and professional growth. This year, within the framework of the second cohort program, women will also be able to gain new perspectives that will help them build successful careers and contribute to society's development" said Dania Akhmetova, Managing Director of Astana Hub.

The courses offered in the second cohort project include: No Code School for creating websites, mobile applications, chatbots, and other digital products without the need for coding; Freelance School for learning remote work, choosing a niche, selling services, and attracting clients; and E-commerce with the support of Mastercard for learning targeted advertising development, managing social media pages, opening an online store, selling goods on international online platforms, connecting online payments, and basics of cybersecurity.

"When I was on maternity leave in 2023, I participated in the IT-Aiel project, which allowed women to receive free training in IT specialties and work remotely, while maintaining a balance between work and family. As a result of the training, I created the CyberBala project, a digital hygiene and cyberbullying prevention chatbot for children and teenagers, which I implemented using no-code tools" said Aliya Orazymbetova, a finalist of the first IT-Aiel cohort, author of the CyberBala project.

E-commerce provides significant opportunities for women. According to Euromonitor International and KPMG research, the e-commerce market volume in 2023 amounted to 1.3 trillion tenge. However, despite the growth of this sector, women artisans and representatives of small and medium-sized businesses face limitations in accessing major e-commerce platforms.

"To create a modern entrepreneurial ecosystem, measures are needed to support and stimulate small and medium-sized business representatives. E-commerce training was created to help SMEs expand into the digital space. We sincerely believe that through this initiative, we can contribute to strengthening the digital economy of our country," noted Aruzhan Mede, CEO of IMPRO.

The IT-Aiel 2.0 project is implemented by the National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the international technopark Astana Hub, and the non-profit organization TechnoWomen. We invite all interested women to take an active part and acquire knowledge on a free basis that will allow them to find their niche in the IT industry.

Information on the implementation of the IT-Aiel 2.0 project is available on the website astanahub.com and on the accounts @astanahub/@technowomenkz.