How Feminist Approach to Technology is transforming the lives of women through innovation

Feminist Approach to Technology is paving the way for women and girls from marginalised communities to thrive in STEM and become leaders in their communities.

in the village of Orap in Buxar district, Bihar, 23-year-old Poonam Kumari became the first person in her community to finish school. Not by fate, but through conscious and persistent struggle against patriarchy and control in a community known for child marriage and early marriage of girls.  The constant pressure from her family to drop out of school and get married led to Kumari losing focus in academics and failing class 10 in 2018. Soon after, she began assisting her mother in the farm.  

Meanwhile, she also joined as a fellow at the local technology centre in her village run by Feminist Approach to Technology, a non-profit that bridges the gender gap in STEM and empowers women and girls from marginalised communities through education, training, and advocacy.  After a year of training at Feminist Approach to Technology, Kumari continued her schooling from where she left off.   Today, thanks to the organisation, Kumari has not only completed her schooling but has also become a community leader at Feminist Approach to Technology, training young girls and women in basic computer skills, gender studies, and negotiation skills, which help them reclaim their place in society and pursue studies and careers of their choice. 

Technology as a tool of empowerment  Feminist Approach to Technology was founded in 2007 by Gayatri Buragohain, a passionate advocate of gender equality, who recognised the critical role technology plays in shaping the lives of women.  Buragohain had experienced firsthand the challenges women faced in the technologysector. After completing her education in engineering in Assam, she worked as an electronics engineer in technical support and network administration for a few years. That’s when she realised how male-dominated the technology space was, with few opportunities and platform