This article originally appeared in the Oct’23 magazine issue of Electronic Specifier Design – see ES’s Magazine Archives for more featured publications.
Bolor-Erdene Battsengel is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, she was the youngest and first female to hold the position of chairwoman of the Government of Mongolia’s Communication and Information Technology Authority, and she is helping young girls in tech to shine.
Bolor’s journey from a small town in Mongolia to becoming the face of women’s empowerment and gender equality is evidence of her commitment to opening doors for the next generation of female technologists – allowing them to enter the industry with their eyes wide open, and the support they need.
From Mongolia to Oxford
Bolor’s early years were rooted in the countryside of Mongolia, far from the tech hubs of the world, and it wasn’t until her family relocated to the city when she was 12 that she truly began to explore her passion for engineering and technology. However, the traditional education system and societal norms cast a shadow over her ambitions, and she found that her teachers and peers would discourage her from pursuing her dream.
“I was really interested in engineering and technology, but whenever I talked about becoming an engineer, or said that I was interested in STEM, whether I was in the city or the countryside, the traditional education system and my teachers would say, ‘you should not pursue those professions because it’s not good for girls. You can’t spend the whole night coding or doing math.’”
Despite these challenges, Bolor pursued her dreams, and she spent a lot of time working for organisations including the UN, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, where, she says, it’s relatively gender equal.
Bolor went on to complete her master’s degree before rejoining the World Bank in Australia. She eventually returned to Mongolia for a year at the behest of her parents. It was here that she worked as the Deputy Minister for the Minister of Digital Development of Mongolia, and where she encountered the gender disparity within the tech sector. Women, she observed, were often relegated to administrative roles, while men dominated the technical positions.
The birth of Girls Code
In 2020, amidst the global pandemic, Bolor founded the Girls Code Programme in Mongolia to provide young girls with the opportunity to explore STEM subjects and technical roles.
The impact of the programme has been remarkable. With 80 graduates to date, several girls have secured spots at prestigious universities in the US, China, Russia, Korea, and Japan, pursuing degrees in computer science and software engineering. Others have embraced coding as a part-time career, demonstrating the limitless potential that girls possess when given equal opportunities.
Empowering communities
What sets Girls Code apart is its focus on community and problem-solving. Participants collaborate to create innovative solutions, such as a security app that sends location notifications in moments of distress or sadness. This not only empowers the girls but also addresses real-world issues they face.
Bolor’s ambition extends beyond Mongolia’s borders, and she envisions expanding the Girls Code Programme to other countries.
The road to gender equality
While Bolor’s journey has been an inspiring one, it also highlights the persistent challenges faced by women in the tech industry. Global tech giants may boast about gender balance, but a closer look reveals that high-paying positions are still overwhelmingly held by men. This gender bias is deeply ingrained, and addressing it requires starting from the very foundations – the education system.
“From my experience, looking at many different women, women who deserve to be in higher positions but have never been promoted to higher positions, I think the key is bravery. A lot of women work hard, they are well educated, and they deserve the decision-making power, but they do not go for it for a lot of different reasons. There are a lot of things are on women’s shoulders – especially in developing countries.”
Education and support networks
Bolor emphasises the vital role of teachers and parents in encouraging girls to pursue tech careers. While many teachers may unknowingly perpetuate gender stereotypes, it is crucial to educate them about the importance of STEM education for all. Parents, too, must support their children’s aspirations and conduct thorough research on potential professions.
Professional networks and industry associations also play a significant role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the tech sector. And Bolor attests that they have the power to shape perceptions, foster understanding, and create a more inclusive work environment.
Bolor also advocates for open and honest discussions about the challenges faced by women in tech. She believes that sharing real stories can help set realistic expectations for young people entering the field, dispelling myths perpetuated by social media.
“I think it’s very important that women who are already working in the tech sector speak up about their experiences.
“People’s understanding of gender equality is completely different from one and another, so to achieve a gender equal sector and job place, we need to meet on common ground. We need to have a neutral understanding.”
A future of inclusivity
Bolor’s plans to expand the reach of the Girls Code Programme to countries with digital gaps, ensuring that the tech revolution benefits all. Through programmes like Girls Code and the dedication of women like Bolor, the future promises to be one of inclusivity, equality, and limitless potential for all aspiring female technologists.
Her journey serves as a message of hope and inspiration for young girls worldwide.
The Women in Tech column
Like (CEO) mother, like (CEO) daughter…
AND Technology’s CEO, Nicola Thorn, shared her experience of growing her consultancy which focuses on product development in the IoT. Nicola was joined by her mother Valerie Lynch, who is the founder of AND Technology. Diverging from traditional companies that use the patriarchal suffix ‘& Sons’, Beatrice O’Flaherty offers a refreshing account of this female-led...
Growth of women in the field of technology
The digitalisation of workspaces is prompting more women to join tech companies. In addition, the growing demand for pursuing STEM courses in developing countries has generated a plethora of opportunities for women at tech companies. Aditi Basu, Marketing Head at Future Market Insights, discusses the rising dominance of women in tech roles.
A rising star within the field of technology
Tulika Agarwal, Assistant Manager at KPMG, recently won the Rising Star Award at the everywoman in Technology Awards. Electronic Specifier’s Paige West spoke to Tulika about her career and the work she is doing to encourage young girls into the industry.
An alley-oop for women in tech!
Sue Harnett, a former professional basketball player, is the Founder, President, and Board Chair of Rewriting the Code – an organisation striving to support and empower college, graduate, and early career women in tech, through intersectional communities, mentorship, industry experience and educational resources.
Questioning ‘common knowledge’: the gender gap
It is considered common knowledge that there are many more male engineers than there are female members of the industry. As Electronic Specifier’s Sam Holland considers, the points that are less understood, however, are how the ratios of female-to-male employees fare in other STEM-friendly industries – and the reasons why engineering has one of the widest...
Encouraging the next generation of women to join the technical workforce
Susan Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She first came to England as a teenager for a year at the University of East Anglia during her degree. Needless to say, she loved it and after going back to the US to complete her degree, she came back to the UK to start her...
Women thriving, on and off the pitch
The UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 marked an incredible milestone. March 2022 saw the largest attendance ever for a women’s football match, with a record crowd of 91,533 in Barcelona. The final at Wembley sold out three months before the tournament even kicked off.
Transport for a Lifetime of career progression
Charul Gupta is the Senior Product Manager at Transport for London (TfL). She has won two awards, taught English and Maths to underprivileged children, built two robots, and is raising a family.
A woman’s superpower is to be seen and heard
Glenda Roberts, Global Projects and Marketing Director at Trifast Plc, is a woman with her finger on the pulse and her eyes on the future.
Growing support for women in tech
The word STEM is a symbolic one. It resonates with people for many different reasons. It is a banner for progression, forward thinking, fast paced innovations, and even faster innovators. Electronic Specifier's Sheryl Miles further discusses.
Technology allows us the time to be human
When working in a fast-growing company, there needs to be clear direction and structure. It’s not about dictatorship, but a network of equals, a conglomeration of adults. Technology is an enabler that affords users the time to focus on what’s important to their business – and that’s the people.
Believe in yourself, and anything is possible
It was whilst interning as an assistant teacher in a STEM school that Mengmeng Shi, AI Customer Solutions Architect at GrAI Matter Labs, first realised how accessible programming and robotics were to everyone. It was a realisation that changed the trajectory of her career.
Be the change you want to see
Suzy Dean, CEO and Founder of Addin365, and winner of the 2022 everywoman Athena award, has vision and ambition, as well as the drive and determination to be the best provider of internal communications technology.
Tipping the scales of inequality in engineering
Head of Engineering Change at XP Power, Sarah Mlundira, had always been academically inclined. Her passion for science and engineering was a prevalent force as she was growing up. However, at a time when she should have been applying to universities, Sarah was plagued by doubts on what she should study, and her place in...
The mother figure of engineering
Shi Marcos is a product engineer at onsemi, an intelligent power and image sensing technology company, where she has worked for the past 15 years – spending her first seven years in the Philippines before transitioning over to the US.
Building bridges to diversity
Molly Bakewell Chamberlin is a B2B strategic growth marketing, PR, and business development professional, and a subject matter authority in sensors and electronics. She is the Founder and President of Embassy Global, LLC, a 100% woman-owned consultancy, and a long-time advocate for small businesses, women in tech, and diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI).
Engineering the future for generations to come
The engineering industry is undergoing a transformative shift toward diversity and equality, and inspiring from the front is Dragica Kostic-Perovic, Chief Engineer of Automotive at Ricardo, a global engineering company.
Fincrime prevention needs women to thrive!
Last year, fraudsters across the UK stole over £1.2 billion through authorised and unauthorised fraud.
Empowering girls in tech
Bolor-Erdene Battsengel is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, she was the youngest and first female to hold the position of chairwoman of the Government of Mongolia’s Communication and Information Technology Authority, and she is helping young girls in tech to shine.
21st-century women shaping the future of STEM
Women have been shaping the STEM landscape for centuries, and for centuries their contributions have been often overlooked. A trend that, unsettlingly, seems to still be evident even in the 21st-century.
What’s one thing you’d like to see change in engineering for women in 2024?
Electronic Specifier’s Sheryl Miles reached out to women engineers, asking them to envision the year ahead and inviting them to share their perspectives on what they’d like to see change in engineering for women in 2024.
Celebrating pioneers: the women who shaped our world
This article originally appeared in the March'24 magazine issue of Electronic Specifier Design – see ES's Magazine Archives for more featured publications. A blue plaque is steeped in history – starting in the late 1800s, the scheme is now run by the English Heritage, and is a symbol of how history has shaped progress.
everywoman and Bupa: championing Women in Tech
everywoman and Bupa have unveiled a report titled: ‘The Wellbeing/Advancement Equation: Solving for a Gender-Balanced Workplace,’ which spotlights the fundamental challenges and opportunities for women in technology.
