As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its sixth month, the pressure on many industries and businesses across the country is mounting. And the IT and technology industry is not there ExceptSo far, it has managed to stay safe, which is mostly due to companies moving their employees to safer regions of the country or to different countries.
In turn, this Increase Ukraine’s IT exports are up 28 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, and the country’s export revenue for the same period is $2 billion.
Although the number of Ukrainian women in the country’s tech industry does not match that of men, they are making their presence felt.
Currently, the total workforce of the IT sector of Ukraine is estimated at about 300 thousand and Around 24 percent of them are women. Women’s participation in Ukraine’s tech industry has tripled over the past few years, but women still make up only 8 percent of developers, with significant representation in other business departments (HR, design, production, and project management).
Ukrainian women now account for most of the wave of migration that hit the country following the war, and women in technology are starting to move the industry forward with the help of organizations and communities.
It is one of them. WtechA community of women in tech with over 4,000 members currently. In the year Founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Viroslava Novoslina, Wetech is present in 12 Ukrainian cities, including the hard-hit cities of Maripol and Kharkiv, as well as Berlin and London.
Now, the community is also expanding its geography and launching Wtech in other countries to support participants who have fled the war in countries such as Cyprus, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, France and the United States. Their goal is to help Ukrainian women adapt and find new networks and career opportunities.
To prevent the economy from collapsing
For Novoslina, while the authorities and the Ukrainian military have done their best to defend the country, now it remains to prevent the collapse of the Ukrainian economy.
“Our government spends enormous resources to protect our land and our freedoms. That is why we must work harder than ever to grow the economy. This manifests itself in many ways: more women have taken management positions, overseas new company offices and fundraising. The war was our partner in action and we are ready for this challenge,” Novoslina told Recursive..
This difficult challenge involves working 24/7 and wearing many hats under extreme conditions, explains Novosilna.
Regardless of gender, we are all working 24/7 now. We no longer have days off or holidays – private and even state. We all celebrate Independence Day at our workplaces and with the sound of sirens. But that doesn’t stop us. It’s really hard personally. Because now we have many jobs at once. The main thing is to volunteer and support Ukraine by doing our jobs and paying taxes. “The more money we can get – the more money we can donate to the needs of the armed forces,” she said.
In the long term, Novoslina’s expectation is that Ukraine will definitely be able to recover after the end of the war, especially as in 2015. Development of drones, cyber security, distance learning and meditech among others.
“For example, Alphabet recently announced Investing in 16 promising Ukrainian startups within the framework of $5 million in Google’s Ukrainian support fund for startups. Most of these companies are pioneers in their solutions. for example, Esper Bionics It is a pioneer in the field of prostate treatment using modern technology. Or Leakey 24, the aggregator of low-cost drug supplies from pharmacies, is gradually expanding into European markets. There is also ExcellentIt was co-founded by Stacey Pavlyshina, which helps customers and designers connect with each other within 24 hours, “Novosilna told Recursive.
Thirty-year-old Anna Tia is among the IT professionals who left the capital city of Kiev shortly after the war and now works with People for People, which helps Ukrainians and people of different nationalities find safe shelter and asylum. The Netherlands.
According to Tian, Ukrainian women have proven to be Ukraine’s “unique strength” in the current situation, especially at a time when some Ukrainian cities have lost almost all of their IT industry and potential.
For example, the city of Kharkiv experienced the greatest economic losses. Before the war, it was the second largest ICT. middle After Kiev, more than 45,000 employees and more than 500 companies. At its peak, Kharkiv lost nearly 90% of its IT workers to relocation and the city’s relentless crackdown. Flagship IT companies could not continue to operate at full capacity.
“Women are very resistant to stress, therefore, in such difficult situations, women adapt quickly, and work, volunteer and join projects with double strength. Moreover, in times of war, when men cannot go abroad, women go to meetings with Western investors, start-ups And it’s women who deliver the technological results and do a lot of the important work,” Tian told Recursive.
Moreover, in the year Ukrainian startups and tech companies have shown how effective they can be even from bomb shelters, Tian emphasized.
“While the war is still going on in Ukraine, our people are getting stronger, and the technology projects are cooler! But the world needs to remember that we still need support because we are not. Equally where she is now,” she says.
Holding jobs in open technology areas and revitalizing the sector
As of 2011 Companies that exist Ukrainian IT center They are among those trying to bring a variety of IT projects to Ukrainian engineers who need the flexibility to balance work with the realities of war.
Oksana Barova is the company’s chief business analyst, and according to her, in the current situation, women should continue to support the country’s economy by actively occupying open positions in the technology industry.
While the start of the war came as a shock to many in the industry, Basova says, what happened afterward meant everyone had to do their part to get through the tough times and focus on reviving the country’s economy.
“Many of my IT friends combine volunteering with their main job and go to volunteer centers to help out after the work day. However, the situation on the front did not improve, which triggered the next round – apathy and despair. Disappointment in moral values and foundations. I am glad that many companies have begun to provide free assistance to qualified psychologists who have helped their employees cope with emotions. Now we can bite the bullet and continue our work by supporting the country and waiting for our victory,” she told Recursive.
Ukraine’s IT industry also plays an important role in demonstrating what the country can do on the international stage, and Barova is confident that this will help the country recover after the war.
“Furthermore, thanks to the volunteer technology and digital projects launched at the beginning of the war, all the communities of skilled specialists were born, who began to participate in business projects. An amazing example is our company – UAITHub. Ukrainian IT has long gone beyond the borders of the country, and its development after the war It is increasing significantly and will continue to grow globally,” Barova pointed out.
Ksenia Oliinyk is the head of marketing at Blockchain Cyber Security Company 111 p.g (progress points). Six months after the war, it is very difficult to scare or shock Ukrainians, she says.
Therefore, Ukrainian women are now always ready for the unexpected, because most of them have no idea what to expect tomorrow or day.
“Nowadays we all forget what a vacation or a holiday is. We have to do a lot of work, we are always moving and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. But we never stop working and growing,” Olynyk told Recursive.
According to her, the whole world is now looking at Ukraine, so now is the time to develop many technological projects and companies.
“The world is watching us today, and while it’s a shame that it’s at this price, we must seize this opportunity. The development of Ukraine’s technological sphere is just beginning, and this is an industry with great potential to support the country’s economy. So we have to make an effort: be interested in the topic, raise it and help our country,” she says.
