What are the issues affecting working women in South Asia?

Many women who want to work are hindered by access to opportunities, perception about commuting to work (i.e. safety to travel) cultural barriers (i.e. family perceptions), and social norms (i.e. work/life split). HerDomain began in 2017 with a mission to empower women in Pakistan (and now elsewhere) by providing them with access to remote, flexible and higher-than-market rate paying work opportunities.

The data shows...

Middle East Labor Force Participation Rate for Women...

24.6%

(global average for women is 47.8%*)

Percent of women who answered lack of work/life balance & mentors as barriers to working

63%

Percent of women who constitute Pakistan's STEM professional workforce...

18%

How we support women

Research shows that while many for-profit organizations and companies have a firm presence in South Asia & the Middle East, issues around gender equality, women’s empowerment and community development remain peripheral to their mission. At the same time, non-profit organizations work with tech-trained women, but are unable to connect women to viable opportunities, mostly because of underdeveloped local tech markets, and male domination in the sector. Our goal is to (1) increase the number of women trained in technical skills, (2) increase the number of women working remotely in the tech industry and (3) increase their income by 3-4x the local market rate.

HerDomain is currently sourcing talent through a rigorous application process and through our partners on the ground. We offer flexible hours and diverse projects to enable women to balance work and family obligations, thus enabling more women to engage in the global tech workforce. Our projects are designed to serve as a space where women with less work experience can increase their confidence and skills, while women with high skill levels can build their management and leadership capacity. Simultaneously, we invest in developing tech talent through virtual and in-person bootcamps, our fellowship program and offering skills certifications through our partners.

HerDomain is operated by MMBMT-USA.

Our Impact

Our talent earns wages that are well above the local Pakistani market rate (sometimes as high as double the market rate)
We have trained over 350+ women in communities all over Pakistan including, but not limited to, Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Gilgit, Sargodha, and Quetta
Most of our talent are key contributors in their households incomes, and sometimes sole-earners who support their parents, children and wider family
Our partners include some of the top Engineering university programs in the country (NUST, NED)
We are continuously refining our model to meet the needs of our freelancers, and a recent survey with them shows that flexible working (90%), personal safety (50%) and skills development (30%) are the most important factors for them.