Stories of Uzbek women & girls
~ Dilfuza Tajibaeva
~ Elena Selezneva
~ Diyora Daminova
Dilfuza Tadjibaeva
A participant of the UniSat program, who is currently studying at National Research Nuclear University MEPhI in Tashkent. Read the summary of our interview: What is it like to study in a university with fields dominated by male students?
Dilfuza Tadjibayeva - a fourth-year student at the National Research Nuclear University Mephi in Tashkent, majoring in electrical power and engineering. She is a very active student, both in social and academic aspects. In the last two months, she took part in three scientific conferences and an international forum of young professionals in Russia. Moreover, she is an alumna of the UniSat program, where she, with 19 other girls, built and launched their nano-satellite. Last semester, she received a scholarship from UzAtom for her excellent studies (a nuclear energy development organization in Uzbekistan).
“In my free time, I do sports, and sometimes I draw. However, I do not usually have free time, so I rarely do it.” -says Dilfuza.
Dilfuza decided technical professions attracted her the most after eliminating other options. She also sees that precisely technical professions have more prospects in terms of development, career growth, and opportunities.
Indeed, there are a lot of boys studying at our university. However, I have observed no stereotypes on their part, only harmless jokes. But to be honest, a couple of times I noticed a slightly stereotypical attitude by teachers, but it changed quickly. You just had to demonstrate your knowledge, and stereotypes were broken one after another.
After the 4th course, I plan to receive a master’s degree. We have targeted education. It means the employer pays our university fee for four years, and we will work for this organization for five years in the future. So after the master’s degree, I will be provided with employment and will work for UzAtom.
For girls listening to me, I have two pieces of advice.
The practical one: I believe that to become a good specialist in your field, you should be curious and read a lot. You can start with popular science articles or YouTube videos. For girls who choose STEM professions, you need to pay attention to the practical part. There is a lot of theory, but when it comes to practice, it is not clear how to apply this theory.
The psychological: you don’t have to be afraid of prejudice. Especially in Uzbekistan, women in science are now very encouraged. There are already a lot of girls in the STEM sphere-everyone is used to it. You should continue developing in your direction, and no one will doubt your abilities and knowledge. The most important thing is not to give up. If you are interested in something, do what you like, and everything will be fine!
Elena Selezneva
TechWomen'2016 alumna, co-founder of Tech4Impact, Digital Innovation Group, Brand.Uz and Regional Ambassador of Technovation Girls in Uzbekistan. Read about her career path, how the program TechWomen changed her life and learn what are the best professions for the future!
I originally majored in marketing. But after several years, I found myself in technology, and that was love at first sight. I have started working as a project manager for an IT company: coordinating the development of websites and mobile apps.
In 2016, I saw an application call for the TechWomen program. This program changed both my professional and personal lives. This is an exchange program for women working in IT. I thought that only women with coding knowledge will be eligible. I, personally, cannot code until no. However, I tried my best and got selected for the program, and spent an entire month in Silicon Valley. My dream came true. We got introduced to Technovation Program, and with two other colleagues from TechWomen 2016, Saida Yusupova and Ozoda Ismoilova we brought it to Uzbekistan. Now, this is my favorite program we are doing for girls, encouraging them to pursue STEM careers.
Talking about the IT-sphere for girls...
Because of many stereotypes, we think it’s too technical and too complex for girls. Like someone who does not want to be involved. But I believe that the profession should not be concerned with gender. And if you are interested in this sphere, if you feel confident, I believe that it does not matter whether you are a girl or a boy.
In the 21st century, every profession is connected with IT. And you can make your life easier and more prosperous by implementing technical features wherever you work. IT is one of the highest-paid jobs.
I’m happy to say that each year there are more programs for girls interested in the STEM sphere.
Technovation is a global contest that is organized by Tech4Impact in partnership with the Ministry of Innovative Development in Uzbekistan. Girls form a team, and with the help of mentors, girls can create a mobile app that helps to solve local/global problems. They will brainstorm, choose a project, plan it, pitch it, and create a business plan. We will announce the new season of the program end of December.
Last year, we also launched another program in Uzbekistan in partnership with UNICEF. The program is called UniSat, where girls build and launch their small satellite (CubeSat). We teach girls coding, 3D modeling, astrophysics, and engineering. Our last nano satellite collected some data on air quality.
With more programs for girls in STEM, we can showcase to the girls, their parents, and society that it’s very perspective. Attention is paid by the government also to girls’ education, and equal opportunities.
My advice for girls is, when you have time at school, please try many different things. Try coding, design, and video making. Also, volunteering will open new opportunities and give you a broader vision of what you can do. Try maybe some social work and then you can compare for yourself. I encourage everyone to try the STEM sphere, It, and English because these are the future. Just give yourself a try: you’re not obliged to like it.