Underground TechSheroes: Tools for Empowerment
Written by Danna Solomon for Sahar Education
Students in the Underground TechSheroes program in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, girls have been banned from schools since 2021, but women and girls continue to procure access to computers, technology, and the internet; programs like Sahar’s Underground TechSheroes have created a lifeline for them, teaching them foundational skills in information technology and coding, so that they can maintain a connection to the outside world and take advantage of work opportunities to advance their position.
It is perhaps even more significant that, in addition to the IT skill-building that this program provides, it works in concert with Sahar’s empowerment program to give Afghan women hope for the future, and a drive to move forward, share knowledge, and build community. Participants report that prior to taking classes, they lacked confidence, experienced depression, and felt isolated, but following participation in the program, they became empowered to use their new skills to seek and thrive in employment. The program has served 585 girls so far, and continues to grow in reach.
One woman who participated in the initial 120-student pilot of the program states that she became a “new version” of herself through IT training and Empowerment workshops. She says the curriculum gave her “the strength to stand on [her] feet and then learn the skills to help others.” This student now teaches in another underground program, and using the tech skills she learned in the pilot phase, she has worked with over 100 students online in mental health and English classes. An education advocate, this alumna of Underground TechSheroes exemplifies how Sahar’s programs not only give women the crucial tech skills they need to succeed and thrive, but they also transform participants into role models to others, exponentially increasing the reach of these programs and moving toward cultural shifts for women and girls in entire Afghan communities.
Another anonymous student says, “In today’s world, technology has a big role, [and] the reason that I am here is the passion that I have. When I learn computer skills and when I use them, I really enjoy it, and it is delightful for me.” Creating an opportunity for learning and joy is so important for girls and women in Afghanistan, who are fighting for their rights and lives daily.
Just recently, the UN released a report detailing that participation of women in Afghan public life has “reached a new low - zero” as there are zero women in decision-making bodies or institutions of secondary education, and women are consequently reaching “17% of their potential.” To compound the situation, reports are emerging that the crisis in Afghanistan is deepening due to the Iran-Israel conflict and the significant number of Afghan returnees from Iran and Pakistan, with 1 in 5 Afghans going hungry due to limited resources and funding from the International community.
And yet, Afghan women persevere. They connect, they learn, and they grow. The same program alumna expressed that she thinks it is “very good that a group of women gather in a place and speak about their opinions and the power that they have. When they do it, they will feel that they are stronger and braver than they think.”
No amount of oppressive policy-making can take away women’s drive to learn and build community. Grassroots, clandestine programs like Underground TechSheroes and the women’s empowerment workshops are crucial to women’s skill-building and self-conception as they continue to have their rights chipped away by the Taliban and battle diminishing circumstances brought on by the ongoing international conflict in the region.
Learning opens up opportunities, and empowerment allows women and girls to see themselves as more than their circumstances, leading them to seek out opportunities for employment, growth, and knowledge sharing. This program helps women stand together, rather than suffer in isolation, and strive to break through that 17% threshold imposed by the Taliban and become the best versions of themselves they can be.
You, too, can be a part of this fight. Join Sahar and the Underground TechShero alumni community in the effort to provide tech education and empowerment training to women and girls across Afghanistan.
Just $30 a month pays for one girl to take IT and coding classes for a month. A donation to Sahar’s programs does not just provide resources to ailing families and individuals—it can also provide hope to whole communities.