Starting my own company was not easy. Working in the business world as a woman is not easy. Without the support of my father and others who believed in me, I may not be the woman I am today. As I have worked with other woman and started the Digital Citizen Fund to give them training and access to technology and opportunities, I saw how rural girls and women have been empowered to live their dreams through technology. It is a way that they can earn money, support families, and change the economy of their cities and countries for good.
Building tech centers in Afghan schools
Roya Mahboob talks about how her company is bringing technology to girls in Afghanistan at the Council’s Women and Global Development Forum on March 8, 2018, in Chicago.
The Afghan Dreamers, the all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan that competed in the FIRST Global Challenge in the United States in July 2017, is a shining example of the success that rural girls can have in a society. These girls have represented their nations around the world in the face of discrimination and difficulty. Many rural girls who pursue dreams in business or technology do not have their family’s support. This makes life even more difficult for them. But when we saw the success of the robotics team’s breakthrough and how they won the hearts of Afghanistan and the world, we were inspired to start a STEAM school in Afghanistan. This school will draw young girls and boys from all over Afghanistan, allowing them to learn and access education that they do not have today. They will come from rural as well as suburban areas and will be the bright, shining light for the future of their country.