“We don’t know any women working in technology except Jehan Ara and you. And we know you because you teach us.”
This statement from a student in my class changed the course of my career.
In 2016, I was teaching as a visiting faculty at a private university, and there were six girls in a class of over fifty students. They always sit in the same corner and contribute nothing to the discussion. At first, what seemed to me like disinterest turned into despair about their future, and they felt uncomfortable contributing to a class full of boys. I asked the girls to go back after a class, and that conversation gave me perspective and a mission.
Later that evening, I started WomenInTechPK, the largest women-only tech community in Pakistan. It started as something I wanted to do for my students, grew into a national movement, and later became intertwined with my professional identity.
Women-only spaces are not new, especially in Pakistan, as we are still a conservative society, but it’s a different story when it comes to online spaces. In many online discourses, you’ll see people (read: men) complaining about being left out.
They think it’s sexist and discriminatory, and I’ve been singled out repeatedly as an abuser, along with many other founders and admins of women-only communities on Facebook in particular.
There is a nuance to this exclusion, and I want to talk about it. When I started the community and decided to keep it women-only, the only reason was to ensure a safe space for women to contribute without any unwanted attention or potential bullying and harassment.
Whenever someone asked me about this gender restriction policy, I said yes, but then, I came across a book called “The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker”. The book is not about communities or online spaces but about event planning and hosting, but the insights shared in his book can be applied to online spaces as well.
Priya, in her book, says: “Thoughtful exclusions are necessary for any gathering or purpose because over-inclusion indicates a lack of commitment to the cause. Good exclusions enable diversity, so a women’s circle is ‘for women only’, where they express parts of themselves they would otherwise hide.” Safe to do, diversity is enabled”.
His insight made me realize why purpose-driven communities with meaningful and thoughtful rules and gatekeeping thrive and produce excellent results. For the same reason, we have seen communities like Soul Sisters Pakistan, Fempro, Ask the Village and Connected Women Pakistan doing great work to connect, upskill and empower women.
Celebrating femininity
Tanya Imran, founder of the Ask the Village community on Facebook, which has nearly 65,000 female members, also recognizes the need for women-only safe spaces.
“As a community leader and group administrator at Ask the Village, what has been amazing about the women-only community is how it has helped women grow personally and professionally, and appreciates and acknowledges the unique circumstances and anchors that hold women back,” she said. .
Tanya emphasized that women need safe spaces where they can be seen, heard and their feelings validated. “Ask Village Prices is a platform where we celebrate womanhood, with its challenges and struggles.”
We need these spaces not only for women’s safety and to increase connection but also to give them a place to open up about experiences they would not normally share publicly for fear of backlash or victim blaming. These include various issues, such as workplace harassment, cyberbullying, discrimination, and even unsafe office environments.
In these spaces, we witness shared stories, mutual support and constructive solutions from members. Most of these communities provide skill development opportunities for their members so that they can comfortably receive guidance and learn in an environment that is not hostile. In our case, we partner with various local and international organizations to bring learning and work opportunities to our members.
Encouraging women-only career development opportunities
Samana Hasan heads Consultnet Corporation’s programs, including CodeGirls, Pakistan’s most well-known community-funded coding boot camp for girls and women. She, too, believes in encouraging women-only professional development spaces.
“In a society like ours, where women often face bias and the education system does not meet the training and development requirements for the professional world, it is even more necessary to nurture professional development spaces for women only,” Samana said, highlighting. How female participants are often shy to address their questions.
Discrete professional development spaces, she added, allow women to take what they are passionate about and empower them to speak their dreams, face their fears and harness their unique abilities.
“This can be critical in unlocking growth and innovation for the industry itself,” Samana told me.
Even I believe that the journey was not entirely smooth. Faced challenges such as dealing with threats and abusive language from people banned for violating the rules. I have also encountered situations where company owners have threatened legal action against me because community members have shared their negative experiences with their organization.
Managing WomenInTechPK
There are instances of men trying to catfish moderators to enter the community, and even conversations from within the community have found their way into tabloids and insel groups.
On top of all this, I personally experienced online hostility from people blaming me for recruiting women as tokens. After all, our work to build this community holds immeasurable value, justifying every ounce of effort we invest.
“For the past five years, I have been actively curating and managing the women-only community ‘WomenInTechPK’, which has had a significant impact on my career,” said Yumna Asim, Techno-Functional Consultant at EPM Partners and one of WomenInTechPK. the moderator
Yumna highlighted that the community facilitated connections with women in its technology field, allowing them to share opportunities and support each other’s professional growth.
“It recognized me within a valuable professional network of women, increasing my visibility. Additionally, being part of this community has allowed me to offer guidance and support to others,” he added.
Tech professionals emphasize that women-only communities address the challenges women often face, such as limited networks and social interactions, thus significantly contributing to their personal and professional growth.
Managing a community with over 10,000 members can be tedious, but running a niche-specific and relatively civil space like WomenInTechPK is easier than other large online communities. Since its inception, WomenInTechPK has received considerable support from local and international organizations. We found collaborators and partners and were able to challenge stereotypes and change the narrative for women working in Pakistan’s tech ecosystem.
Programs like CodeGirls, platforms like ProWomen.pk, diversity committee and framework of Pakistan Software House Association are some of our contributions. We’ve partnered with over 100 conferences, events and meetups to feature women both in the audience and on stage. Since 2019, we have published nearly 100 interviews with our members, building their digital footprint and helping them connect with a larger audience and opportunity.
sit at the table
“Having a seat at the table is very different from having a voice or having your voice heard,” says Aroma Naqvi, program manager at CaterpillarHER – an entrepreneurship and career accelerator by women for women.
In a workforce dominated primarily by men, she added, women-only spaces are important, sparking intimate conversations that rarely happen otherwise.
“There is a level of respect and familiarity because the women around you understand the complexities of your challenges. You can talk, share and learn significantly more when you’re not fighting to be heard at the table,” asserts Aroma, pointing to research revealing how women speak significantly less than men in group discussions, prioritizing women-only spaces. Will be for professional development of women.
Online spaces for women are bringing many women out of social isolation, and they can connect with other women who can not only empathize with them but also offer solutions or even share their own experiences so that they feel connected and heard. .
These communities also play a huge role in changing the way we think about women in the online space, at home and at work We want women to engage in meaningful conversations and express themselves authentically without the barriers and biases they typically face in online spaces.
Faiza Yusuf is a software engineer with over 13 years of experience building technology products and teams. She leads various initiatives including WomenInTechPK, CodeGirls and CaterpillHERs to increase the inclusion of women in technology and the economy. Posted by @FaizaYousuf
Title and thumbnail image by Kiran Saeed
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