Some development professionals have suggested that microfinance and small business form the cornerstone of Afghanistan’s potential economic growth. This entrepreneurial approach can also prove especially beneficial for women, many of whom remain economically dependent on men because of the culture’s long-held rules about what roles females can play in society. One woman who was able to break through Afghanistan’s social barriers is women’s rights advocate and IT consulting firm founder Roya Mahboob.
In 2013, Time Magazine named Roya Mahboob one of the 100 most influential people in the world. This honor recognized not just the success of her company, but also her efforts to empower women and give back to the community by expanding access to the Internet throughout Afghanistan and creating programs that allow women to earn money in novel, exciting ways. Her philanthropy, however, starts with her company, Afghan Citadel Software Company.
Women’s Empowerment through Afghan Citadel
When Roya Mahboob founded Afghan Citadel Software Company in 2010, she emerged as one of the first female entrepreneurs working in the information technology (IT) sector in Afghanistan. More than half of the employees at her company are female. Recognizing the constraints that Afghan women often face in terms of employment, she has permitted some females to work from home. This option makes employment much more accessible for women.
At its heart, Afghan Citadel is an IT infrastructure service provider. Employees work with clients to improve infrastructure efficiency and reduce costs. Many IT equipment companies provide very limited support to smaller companies. This forces them to manage their own infrastructure, which can often prove overwhelming. Afghan Citadel helps companies identify and fix inefficiencies while providing the support that manufacturers do not offer. Services include online backups, data recovery, equipment procurement, network, data archiving, and data reduplication. By employing a large number of women with strong technical abilities, Mahboob helps break stereotypes about the appropriate sectors in which women can work.
Outside of Afghan Citadel, Mahboob has undertaken several projects to give women new, exciting options for making an income.
Connecting Women Worldwide through the Women’s Annex
Much of the money that Roya Mahboob has made through Afghan Citadel has been redirected to philanthropic causes on behalf of Afghan women. She sees the Internet as a means of financial freedom for women, yet she recognizes that only about 5 percent of Afghans have access to reliable networks. Typically, Afghans can only access the Internet in urban cafes, which can prove uncomfortable and often unsafe for women. To expand access, Mahboob has helped construct dozens of Internet-enabled classrooms around the country that allow female students to become more computer literate and connect to other individuals around the world.
Through Film Annex Networks, Mahboob encourages girls and women in Afghanistan to share their personal stories via the Women’s Annex. This film and blog distribution platform has given Afghan girls and women a medium for expressing their feelings, sharing their thoughts, and making important statements based on their personal experiences. On the website, they can post videos and blogs that connect to other forms of social media.
Women can also use the Women’s Annex to earn money. The website shares advertising revenues with the women who post content using an algorithm created by BuzzScore. This algorithm gauges the quality and originality of the content, as well as its influence, reach, and ability to engage the community. Thus, women can monetize their interest in content creation. This model has allowed some women to use the tool to generate an income from self-distributing films and stories.
Moving into a Digital Age with the Digital Citizen Fund
Most recently, Roya Mahboob cofounded the Digital Citizen Fund, which grew out of the Women’s Annex Foundation. The fund generates even more opportunity for women by providing training courses in content production and software engineering. Through the fund, Afghan girls and women can learn more about using computers and the Internet to generate income and hone the skills they need to work remotely. The fund also provides financial literacy training.
The Digital Citizen Fund is a complement to Mahboob’s dedication to expanding access to the Internet throughout Afghanistan. When girls and women connect to the Internet, they can use it as a tool for personal and financial empowerment. One of the most unique features of the organization is its emphasis on using Bitcoin as the primary form of payment for women who work remotely. This form of payment is secure and digital, which protects women from the danger of carrying large amounts of cash or subjecting their earnings to scrutiny by relatives.