In a country where men dominate technological fields such as computer science and electrical engineering, initiatives are taking place to garner more female representation. The company at the forefront of such initiatives in Pakistan is CIRCLE. To learn more about their cause and the women helped through it, The Express Tribune collaborated with CIRCLE to convey the stories of women who benefitted from their cause in lieu of International Women's Day.
As the world advances digitally, technological literacy has been deemed extremely important for a person to not only survive but thrive. Among CIRCLE ('s) various enterprises, one of their most successful enterprise is 'Tech Karo'.
'Tech Karo', focuses on encouraging young women to increase their involvement in technological fields through different courses and technical skills. The enterprise focuses on encouraging women from underprivileged backgrounds and communities to take their first digital footsteps.
Tech Karo offers courses such as Coding, Digital Marketing, Graphic Designing and understanding how to use tools such as Word Press. Tech Karo's courses and provision of strong mentorship have allowed many of their graduates to prosper in various fields of technology.
It's Never Too Late to Start Anew:
Raffat Fatima's story may resound with women who have put their dreams on hold to take care of their children. In Pakistani society, the mother is expected to bear the brunt of childcare, often taking a step back from her dreams and ambitions. Although Fatima says "it was a personal choice," she also expresses how quickly "eight years had passed" and her technological skills seemed "dated."
When Fatima chanced upon Tech Karo, she described it as a "stroke of luck" and enrolled in their 'Web Development Program'. The flexibility of enhancing her skills online not only encouraged her to improve further but also instilled confidence.