Empowering Women in Iraq's Digital Economy: The "She Codes Too" Initiative
Raghad Al-Abboodi
Founder, She Codes Too
Introduction
In today's fast-changing society, digital skills have become essential for navigating the modern world. As our societies and economies increasingly rely on technology, the ability to understand and utilize digital tools becomes critical. Programming, in particular, empowers individuals to create, innovate, and contribute to the digital landscape.
The demand for programming skills is surging not just within the tech industry but across diverse sectors. As automation, artificial intelligence, and data analytics become integral components of businesses, the ability to code and understand programming languages becomes a valuable asset. Jobs in marketing, finance, healthcare, and logistics fields increasingly require digital proficiency.
Iraq is currently experiencing a transformative shift in its digital economy. This digital transformation creates new opportunities and challenges, emphasizing the need for individuals with good digital skills to contribute effectively to the changing landscape.
Moreover, digital transformation is starting to change the nature of the Iraqi market. We can see that in the emergence of new sectors such as e-commerce, q-commerce, last-mile delivery, and fintech has resulted in increasing demand for digital skills, programming in particular, and creating more employment.
However, the unequal opportunities for men and women in the tech sector in Iraq are evident. According to She Codes Too surveys, observations, and the research conducted by KAPITA’s research team in 2021, “The Reality of Information and Communication Technology In Iraq: Ecosystem Reflection, Challenges, and Opportunities,” the shortage of women is a significant concern in the ICT sector.
It is a must to recognize the importance of addressing this gender disparity in tech, especially within the light of much research indicating that companies with more gender-diverse workspaces tend to perform better than their less diverse peers. Additionally, diverse teams not only result in more creative solutions but also benefit from a broader range of perspectives and are more likely to hire top talent.
She Codes Too
She Codes Too (SCT) is a non-profit organization based in Iraq dedicated to empowering young Iraqi women in the tech industry by equipping them with essential programming skills necessary to pursue careers in tech.
SCT, founded in 2020, initially provided a series of online workshops and programs of different lengths to teach specific topics in programming and aimed to create awareness and empower women to participate in the tech industry. However, last year, 2023, SCT took these classes to an in-person format, with the goal being not only empowerment and motivation but also the creation of job opportunities for participants post-graduation. The program duration extended to 6 months. In the current year, SCT is running another cohort spanning 7 months, with a focus on web programming. The intake for each program ranges from 20 to 30 women from different cities across Iraq.
In addition to teaching technical skills, SCT also teaches soft skills and career development and provides 1-1 mentorship to the participants to enable them to secure tech jobs after graduation from the programs.
SCT programs are very competitive. It typically only accepted about the top 8% of applicants in the last two programs. Their goal in the future is to keep creating programs and reach more women.
She Codes Too Problem Focus
The establishment of 'She Codes Too' to teach programming to women in Iraq began for several reasons rooted in the personal experiences of its founder, Raghad. While working as a computer science lecturer at the university in Baghdad, she keenly observed the discouragement among female students in her classes. Many chose non-coding tasks, leaving the coding parts in group projects to their male partners. Recognizing this disparity and driven by a commitment to address such challenges, "She Codes Too" was born to tackle this issue alongside various other reasons:
Firstly, as mentioned in the introduction, Iraq faces significant challenges in terms of gender equality, particularly in the technology sector. Women are underrepresented in the field of technology in Iraq, and there is a lack of resources and opportunities available to help them develop the necessary skills to pursue a career in this area according to research conducted by KAPITA in 2022, “Iraqi Women In Numbers - Analyzing the Current Status and Identifying the Way Forward.” SCT aims to address this gap by providing women with access to the essential resources and support to develop their programming skills.
Secondly, the technology sector is rapidly growing in Iraq, and there is a high demand for skilled professionals in this field. By providing women with high programming and professional skills, She Codes Too is helping contribute to the growth and enrichment of the sector in Iraq.
Thirdly, learning programming can empower women by providing them with new opportunities to develop their skills, pursue careers, and become financially independent. In Iraq, where women often face cultural and societal barriers to accessing education and the workforce, organizations like She Codes Too can create an impact in empowering women by equipping them with skills to get jobs, particularly in programming, that can be easily performed remotely from home, overcoming these barriers.
She Codes Too Mission and Objectives
The mission of She Codes Too in Iraq is to empower women in the field of technology and bridge the gender gap in the tech industry. The organization aims to provide women with the necessary skills, resources, and opportunities to thrive in the tech sector, thereby promoting gender equality and diversity within the industry.
She Codes Too seeks to build a supportive and inclusive community that encourages women to pursue careers in technology, equipping them with technical knowledge, professional development, and networking opportunities. The organization's objective is to create a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem where women in Iraq can excel in technology and contribute to the growth and innovation of the country's tech industry.
Implementation Challenges
When it comes to implementing She Codes Too programs, several challenges stem primarily from cultural and social barriers.
One significant challenge lies in the admission process. Recruiting women for training programs is usually difficult due to multiple social barriers, such as the need for permission from parents or husbands and limited availability. In addition to not being comfortable using public transportation, which makes it tricky for women to commute to classes. The challenge is even more complex when the participants are mothers, who are mostly the ones to bear the primary responsibility for childcare.
To help reduce the impact of these issues, She Codes Too has implemented various measures to make the classes convenient and safe. Choosing suitable class locations, determining appropriate timings for commuting from and to participants' homes, and selecting well-trained instructors are all important in creating an environment where participants feel welcomed and secure. This approach benefits the participants and reassures parents and husbands, making them more comfortable with the idea of women attending the programs. In some instances, parents have even visited the classes to ensure the suitability and safety of the learning environment for their daughters.
Another challenge is the persistent questioning we receive from many sources about why these courses are exclusively for women or how important it is for women themselves to learn these skills. Despite efforts to explain, She Codes Too finds itself having to justify its focus repeatedly and putting more effort into educating women themselves about the numerous benefits of being part of this industry. This reflects a lack of awareness regarding the significant gender disparity in the tech industry. She Codes Too addresses this issue by creating awareness among its participants. By educating them about the gender gap in technology, She Codes Too aims to empower women to be part of the solution.
Navigating workplace expectations and cultures poses a unique challenge for us at She Codes Too. While our training programs equip women with the technical skills and mindset needed to excel in the tech industry, the reality is that workplaces vary significantly in their expectations and cultures for women working with them. Some conservative environments may have specific behavioral and thinking norms, urging our participants to adapt to these particular workplace dynamics. On the other hand, more open-minded workplaces may emphasize a different set of values and preferences, requiring our participants to align with their culture.
The challenge for us lies in finding the delicate balance – preparing our participants to be flexible professionals without forcing them into a one-size-fits-all mold. It is crucial for us at She Codes Too to empower women to be confident in their abilities and prepare them for the diverse workplace landscapes they may encounter.
Success Stories
The impact of She Codes Too is measured in various ways, one of which involves assessing how many women secure jobs in the tech market after getting the necessary programming and technical skills from She Codes Too programs to qualify for those positions.
Our most recent bootcamp lasted for 6 months and ended last October 2023; 90% of the graduates have now secured a job in a relevant field. We are still supporting the remaining 10% as they currently continue through the interviews process. Our main success metric of SCT is the employment rate of our graduates.
We also conduct interviews with the employers to follow up with how our graduates have been doing to find out what we are doing right and what we might be doing wrong. So far, we received excellent feedback from them.
Over the next few years, we will be able to gather data about the retention rate of our graduates at their employers.
There are other success measurements that are equally important for She Codes Too. This can be seen in the active community of alumni and students that SCT created so that they can support each other, and SCT can support them throughout their participation and throughout their careers.
Future Prospects
She Codes Too is looking to expand its impact beyond Baghdad, reaching other cities in Iraq. Additionally, the organization aims to develop larger and more comprehensive programs to reach more women. The challenge facing it right now is the limited resources, but the organization is determined to broaden its reach. The aim is to raise awareness about women's inclusion in the tech field, build confidence in their skills, and support their financial independence, thereby fostering a more diverse tech market.
To achieve the goal of this expansion goal, She Codes Too is consistently searching for and recruiting a dedicated team that believes in its mission and actively contributes to supporting the organization's growth.
The primary challenge currently faced by She Codes Too is the constraint on resources and funds. Operating as a nonprofit, the organization relies on the generosity of partners and donors for financial support. She Codes Too welcomes support in various forms, including human resources or financial contributions, as it continues in its mission to empower women in the tech industry.
