A Future Reimagined: How Aseel’s Afghan Women in Tech Leadership Program is Empowering Afghan Women in Tech

In a country where the odds have turned sharply against them, Afghan women are finding new ways to reclaim their futures. Over the last few years, following the return of the Taliban, the landscape for women in Afghanistan has become increasingly repressive. From the closure of schools and universities to bans on employment and healthcare access, women have been systematically pushed out of public life. Yet amid these restrictions, one truth remains unchanged: Afghan women have not given up.

At Aseel, we launched the Afghan Women Tech Leadership (AWTL) program to provide a new kind of lifeline, that isn’t for temporary relief, but a long-term opportunity. AWTL is a year-long, remote IT fellowship that supports Afghan women with the tools, training, and pathways they need to thrive in the digital economy. This initiative emerged from the belief that women must be at the center of rebuilding Afghanistan, not on the sidelines.

The program's structure is both practical and empowering. Fellows receive stipends, internet support, laptops, and full onboarding to a secure, cloud-based remote work environment. The first two months focus on intensive training and after that, each fellow is matched with a global partner like Code to Inspire, AJA Foundation, W4 , Vital Voices, Refuge or RapidIteration, where they will contribute meaningfully to real projects as full-time team members. In the final month, they present their work and, in many cases, transition into permanent remote roles.

Aseel believes that AWTL is more than just a career program, but a quiet revolution in a country where some women are not allowed to leave the house, let alone lead in tech. Many of our fellows were on the verge of abandoning their professional dreams before joining us. One fellow shared with Aseel, “I thought I would never work again. I was ready to leave the country. AWTL gave me a reason to stay.”

This transformation is taking place against a deeply troubling backdrop. According to the UN, more than 23.7 million Afghans, over half the population, require urgent humanitarian aid. Food insecurity affects nearly 12.4 million people. Restrictions on women in healthcare have created tragic, daily consequences: 167 babies and 24 mothers die every day from preventable causes due to access barriers and medical understaffing. Bans on female medical training and work have only made the crisis worse.

Yet the women in AWTL are creating a new path for themselves. They are not just earning salaries; they are feeding families, rebuilding confidence, and becoming digital role models for younger girls who may no longer have access to school. With each line of code, each design prototype, each digital campaign, or engagement with a client, they are reshaping the future of their communities from behind closed doors.

To scale the impact of AWTL, we’ve launched a global Grand Challenge inviting funders, companies, and advocacy organizations to join us. For $7,400, a partner can fully sponsor one fellow for a year, covering all costs from salary to equipment. We are calling on organizing partners to host fellows, funding partners to sustain them, and backing partners to amplify this mission.

We began with a goal of 50 women. But the need is far greater. Every week, more applications pour in, thousands of them, which are testimonies of talent waiting to be unlocked. What these women need is not charity, but a chance. And through AWTL, we’re giving it to them.

In the face of restrictions, they are choosing resilience. In the absence of freedom, they are building new tools for agency. And in a world that often overlooks them, we are committed to making sure their voices are not just heard—but leading.

If you believe, as we do, that Afghan women hold the keys to Afghanistan’s future, we invite you to partner with us. Together, we can reimagine what’s possible.

If you are interested in learning more about the AWTL program, please read more here or contact our program accounts executive Rowaida Naikkhwah at [email protected]. 

About the Author: 

Layma Murtaza is the Vice President of Business Development and a Board member for Aseel and has worked in the humanitarian and development sector for over a decade, supporting critical initiatives across Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Türkiye. With experience at leading organizations including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and various USAID-funded projects, Layma brings deep expertise in designing and implementing programs that support vulnerable communities, with a particular focus on gender equity and digital inclusion.