Women in technology
Training, mentoring and placement for women entering telecom and IT - plus the practical support that decides whether they can accept the job.
6,500
Women trained
64%
In technical roles at 12 months
18 mo
Mentoring relationship
38
Employer partners
What the problem actually is.
Women drop out of technical careers in India at a point that has little to do with ability. It is the commute after dark, the family conversation about a first job in another city, the absence of anyone in the room who looks like them. Training alone does not move that.
The programme therefore pays for the things that actually block a placement: safe hostel accommodation for the first six months, a transport allowance, and a family briefing session that treats parents as people to convince rather than obstacles to route around. Alongside that runs the technical course itself and a mentor who has already made the same move.
We also work on the other side of the table. Employer partners commit to interview panels that are not all-male and to publishing their own retention numbers for women in technical roles, because a placement into a workplace that pushes people out is not a result.
Who this is for: Women aged 18-35 entering or returning to technical work, particularly from small towns and rural districts.
The work, specifically.
Each of these is funded with its running costs included - stipends, repairs, follow-up - because that is what decides whether it survives past the first year.
Technical training cohorts
Women-only batches in network operations, field engineering, support and software fundamentals.
Mentoring
One-to-one pairing with a woman already working in the field, for eighteen months.
Relocation and safety support
Verified hostel accommodation and a transport allowance for the first six months of employment.
Family engagement
Sessions with parents and spouses covering the role, the workplace and the safety measures in place.
Returnship track
A re-entry route for women coming back after a career break of two years or more.
6,500
Women trained
64%
In technical roles at 12 months
18 mo
Mentoring relationship
38
Employer partners
Named projects inside this programme.
Bihar · since 2021
Digital Didi
Women trained as their village's paid digital helper - the person who fills the form, makes the claim, spots the scam.
How it works →Karnataka · since 2022
She Builds Networks
Field engineering training for women, including the accommodation and transport that decide whether they can take the job.
How it works →
Three things that would make a difference here.
- Mentor one woman through her first eighteen months.
- Hire from a cohort, and publish your own retention numbers.
- Fund six months of accommodation and travel for one placement.
Contributes to
- SDG 5 Gender equality
- SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 10 Reduced inequalities
Related programmes
Fund it, staff it, or send us your old laptops.
Tell us which programme interests you and roughly what you have in mind - money, equipment, time or expertise - and we will come back with something specific rather than a brochure.
