Breaking Biases Down

Zarnigor Rakhimova, a school graduate from Bukhara province, secured a bronze medal at the European Girls' Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI). Ucell supported Uzbekistan's girls' team in participating in the competition in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

A persistent bias exists that software engineering is not a suitable field for women. From childhood, girls are often steered towards the humanities, and their interest in the exact sciences is not adequately encouraged. A lack of support and stereotypes about “computer science being exclusively for men” have discouraged many talented girls from pursuing IT careers.

This stereotype is gradually being dismantled. Promoting gender equality and empowering women aims to break down barriers and demonstrate that computer science is accessible to everyone. Uzbekistan is providing girls with increasing opportunities in IT, and Zarnigor Rakhimova's victory at the European Olympiad in Informatics is proof of this.

IT is the Language of the Future

In today's world, where technology penetrates all domains of life, IT skills are becoming not just an advantage, but a necessity. Uzbekistan is proactively developing its digital economy and creating conditions for young people to master these skills, regardless of gender.

At the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the country has adopted educational programs focused on teaching children software engineering and robotics. Competitions and Olympiads in these disciplines are held regularly. In June of this year, the ICT4Girls Olympiad was held in Uzbekistan, with 242 girls from across the country participating. Based on the first stage results, 45 school and lyceum students who excelled in C++ or Python coding were selected. In the next stage, 12 winners gained the opportunity to attend a training bootcamp. Their mentors were boys who won the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) last year. After intensive training, four participants were selected to represent Uzbekistan at the European Girls' Olympiad in Informatics in the Netherlands.

Girls Rule in EGOI

EGOI is a recently launched coding competition exclusively for girls, modeled after the European Mathematical Olympiad. Participants not only solve complex tasks and develop algorithms but also meet women who have succeeded in IT. This is important because the majority of coding teachers are men.

The first EGOI took place in 2021 in Zurich, Switzerland. Since then, competitions have been held in various cities of the participating countries. The organizers aim to provide young women with the chance to showcase their talents and foster their interest in computer science.

Uzbekistan's national team arrived in Eindhoven on July 21st. The Republic was represented by the talented Zarnigor Rakhimova from Bukhara province, Oysha Mirzatillaeva from Tashkent, Malika Khojamuratova from the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and Solikha Dagarova from Samarkand province. About 200 representatives from 57 countries took part in this prestigious Olympiad. Based on the results of two rounds, Zarnigor Rakhimova scored 329 points and won a bronze medal.

"I am 18 years old and graduated from school No. 12 in Bukhara province. My computer science teacher inspired me to develop myself in the IT field, and my family provided great support. Participating in the International Olympiad, I realized that one should not be influenced by biases. The idea that coding is not for girls is profoundly wrong," said EGOI bronze medalist Zarnigor Rakhimova.

Support is the Key

Team leader and chief expert of the Department of Digital Development of the Ministry of Digital Technologies, Ms. Asal Babaeva, stated that the Olympiad showcased many talented girls both globally and in Uzbekistan. The key for them is support. It is necessary to show that by investing effort and working on self-improvement, one can achieve any heights, including those in IT.

"The trip was very eventful: games, master classes, competitions, and tours. The girls were motivated to compete. The contest was held in a fair and transparent manner over two stages. The hours before the results announcement were nerve-wracking, but the final score table pleasantly surprised us. Not only did Zarnigor win a bronze medal, but her three teammates also showed excellent results," Asal said.

Such experiences will significantly boost the development of the IT industry. The trip was beneficial not only for the girls but also for the team leaders and coaches. During the Olympiad, we got to know the teams from Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Poland, which scored highly at EGOI. Next year, we plan to invite mentors from the countries whose representatives won gold medals at the Olympics to the bootcamp.

Upon returning from the Netherlands, representatives of the Ministry of Digital Technologies and the Center for the Development of Digital Education warmly welcomed the team with fanfare, as befits champions. All the girls returned home with the intention to participate in the Informatics Olympiad again next year and win.