To ensure equal right of women, it is very essential to ensure their economic freedom. If women go forward, the whole nation will be developed. It is necessary to create a positive awareness among the women and their families to develop the career of women. As well as women need to overcome the barriers those prevent them from choosing career. Government has taken several initiatives to bring more women into ICT industry. ICT Division is planning to provide training to upscale the entrepreneurship skills to 30,000 women.
Luna Shamsuddoha is a Bangladeshi women entrepreneur. She is the chairman of the software firm Dohatec New Media, in Dhaka Bangladesh, which she founded in 1992. She is the founder and president of Bangladesh Women in Technology (BWIT). Luna Shamsuddoha recently joined Janata Bank Limited becoming the first woman to head any state-owned bank in Bangladesh.
Dohatec provides software solutions to institutions, government agencies and corporations in the US, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and Bangladesh. Dohatec’s key clients are the World Bank, World Health Organisation, US Postal Service, Government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Army. Dohatec is a certifying authority and issues digital certificates including identification certificates and SSL certificates.
Shamsuddoha was a panelist in two sessions of the UN 59th Commission on the Status of Women and Moderator of UN online discussion, UN Women. She participated in UN ITC Trailblazers Summit: Transformations in Sourcing from Women, in São Paulo, Brazil 2015 – a call for the inclusion of women in public procurement.
The successful women entrepreneur received the Bangladesh Business Award-2017 for her contribution to the country’s economy and was honored with ‘Anannya Top Ten Awards’ for her work in the in local software industry as a women entrepreneur. She is a board member of SME Foundation, Independent University Bangladesh (IUB). She has been featured on global forums on technology, e-Governance and women’s economic participation and empowerment. She is a member of council of Global Thought Leaders on Inclusive Growth, Switzerland.
Luna Shamsuddoha shares her experience about the women's career in ICT in Bangladesh with bbarta24.net in an exclusive interview.
Bbarta: How is the work environment in ICT industry for women?
Shamsuddoha: I have more than two decades of experience in ICT industry. I have also experience to work in abroad. From my experience, men respect the women very much in Bangladesh. Also, government is very tech-friendly. Government is running country-wide programme to bring women into ICT industry. Even thought, women are not being able to move forward in ICT industry.
Bbarta: What are the challenges those women face in the workplace?
Shamsuddoha: Women are faced many challenges when they go to work outside. We found fewer women enroll in engineering and computer science. Many people think that those are for male students. Moreover, the very few female students who study in these subjects do not go to carrier compared to the boys. It is a social challenge. Many people in our country do not take it normally that a female stays outside at night for work.
What should be done to increase women’s participation in ICT industry?
Shamsuddoha: What makes me optimistic is that the participation of women in ICT is increasing day by day. But it is needed to grow further. The present mindsets of society that prevent women to flourish their potentials of women need to change. Many women have experience in ICT industry but they do not come forward due to various social issues. Taboos surrounding women from many aspects of the social and cultural life need to disregard to bring more women into the industry.
What can women do?
Shamsuddoha: I would like to tell the women that you have many talents and capacities. You (women) need to be confident to use those. You have to conquer your fears. If we do not take the risk, we could not be able to achieve anything. I just want to say to women, you can.
bbarta/KF
