Bahrain's tech scene experiences sharp ascent, including rise in women in tech

POLICY

Science and technology cannot change the world if its best innovations are restricted to only a handful of countries.

To share in the sweeping digital transformation wave, Bahrainis are making conscientious efforts to boost the interest in emerging cloud technologies, as well as entrepreneurship, including encouraging women in technology.

“We have the Supreme Council for Women pushing as well for women to be in this sector from an early age,” said Kawthar Al-Gallaf (pictured), founder and chief executive officer of E-Jam’ia. “Training from university or even high school graduates, they can then start working on their ideas and come up with solutions. So you can see that everyone is up to being part of the ecosystem by putting in their ideas.”

Al-Gallaf spoke with John Furrier, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during the Women in Tech: International Women’s Day event. They discussed female involvement in Bahrain’s tech scene, including the challenges and wins so far.

Pioneering diversity and inclusion — the areas of improvement

Recently, the Middle East has experienced a rise in female involvement in crucial tech sectors, and the small island nation of Bahrain is leading in many aspects there. Despite the changes being witnessed, however, women still stand as the minority and several societal challenges still prove a stumbling block toward an even larger female workforce.

“I believe there are some challenges given our cultural norms of how men perceive women working in the field of tech,” Al-Gallaf explained. “Sometimes society [hinders] a woman from pursuing her passion to be in tech because it’s a demanding field. I would say that it’s equal to the medical field. You have to keep on updating to be aware of what’s going on.”

Al-Gallaf herself is zn example of female excellence in the Middle East’s tech community. As an employee and startup founder, she has multiple certifications across many project management and technology fields. She is also a Halcyon House fellow.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Women in Tech: International Women’s Day event:

Photo: SiliconANGLE