Celebrating Women in Tech: Astrid Uytterhaegen

This series of portraits celebrates women working with the openIMIS Initiative from across the world in diverse technical roles. Women make up less than a third of the global tech workforce, with even fewer women at senior levels. In line with BMZ's Feminist Development Policy, openIMIS actively seeks to address this gender gap.

Country: United States of America
Position: Digital Development Specialist, World Bank
Education: MSc International Business Economics and Management, KU Leuven; BA Politics, Economics and Public Policy, Goldsmiths, University of London

Image of Astrid Uytterhaegen and a quote: "Women are half the population. It sounds simple, but its the most important point - when you exclude half the population from building technology, you end up with systems that dont work as well for everyone. "

openIMIS and World Bank
The World Bank has been an active contributor to the openIMIS ecosystem. It developed CORE-MIS, an open-source platform supporting countries in managing social protection programs, elements of which were integrated into openIMIS in 2022. Since then, the World Bank has continued to engage with the platform through technical inputs and country implementations.

How did you become interested in working in digital tech?
"My pathway into tech was not linear. I studied economics and, before joining the World Bank, worked for a big data company developing data packages to support banks with anti-money laundering compliance. Later, through my work on social protection, education, and geo-enabled mapping systems at the Bank, I began to see the potential of technology for strengthening project implementation."

"Coming from an operations background, I quickly realized that operations teams and software developers don’t always communicate effectively. Part of my role now is to bridge these conversations — bringing teams together to identify what is really needed and to address bottlenecks caused by system failures. To support my work, I took online courses to build a foundational understanding of coding."

"I was part of the team that contributed to the design of the early CORE-MIS system. I was very excited about its integration into openIMIS, which created an opportunity for the system to scale and be sustained over time. I strongly believe in open-source, modular architectures for public digital systems, as they give governments greater independence and control over their own solutions."

What are some of the challenges women face in tech, and how can they respond?
"As a woman in tech, you are often underestimated. I can be sitting in a meeting with a male intern, and clients will speak to him rather than to me — this happens most often in external engagements with counterparts in partner countries, where I am often the only woman in the room."

"A high percentage of women leave tech careers early. You often feel the need to prove yourself constantly and to be fully on top of your subject in ways that are not always equally expected of men. Early in my career, a supervisor gave me an excellent piece of advice, which I still pass on: you need to become an expert in the room — and you need to become one quickly. You also need to build the confidence to participate actively in discussions. It’s about being resilient, proactive, and confident in your voice."

"I have also found that it’s important to identify allies within your team — particularly male colleagues who will call out bias when they see it. I have been in meetings where a question I have just answered is asked again to a male colleague. It’s powerful when he responds, ‘As Astrid has already mentioned…’. This reinforces your contributions and brings you back into the discussion."

What particular qualities do women bring to tech?
"Women are half the population. It sounds simple, but it's the most important point — when you exclude half the population from building technology, you end up with systems that don't work as well for everyone. Inclusion in the development process leads to more inclusive outcomes."

"This is especially true for public-facing systems like those openIMIS supports, which need to serve the full diversity of people who rely on social protection programs. The more representative the teams building these systems are, the better the systems they produce."

"Beyond that, diverse teams simply make better decisions. Different lived experiences surface different problems; different assumptions get challenged, and the end result is stronger. That's not specific to women — it's true of diversity in all its forms — but given how underrepresented women remain in tech, addressing that gap has an outsized impact."

What are you most proud of in your work?
"I have supported a number of women in transitioning from non-technical roles into more technical career paths, which I find incredibly rewarding. People coming from non-technical backgrounds often bring fresh perspectives and a strong understanding of how systems function in real-world contexts."

"I also greatly enjoy mentoring interns, which I have been doing for several years. Building a strong pipeline of women entering the tech space is essential for the future."

"Finally, I am most proud when governments are able to take ownership of their systems — maintaining, adapting, and building on them independently. Supporting that kind of sustainable capacity is one of the most meaningful aspects of my work."

How could openIMIS better support women working in the digital space?
“There is a supply and demand problem with hiring women in tech. I encourage all organizations I work with to think seriously about creating tech internships. This is how young people learn and it helps build a future workforce of product managers, UI/UX designers, AI developers, and so on. It’s currently very hard for young people to get jobs in tech because entry-level positions nearly always require prior experience. While internships can require a lot of effort, they are also incredibly rich and rewarding.”

“For any tech initiative, establishing a pipeline of students trained in tech is incredibly important. At the Bank, for example, we find that there are too few Python developers in the job market – so it’s important to talk with department heads at universities and tell them which skills are needed.”

“When reviewing candidates, existing knowledge of digital public goods such as openIMIS is a real differentiator — it signals both technical ability and an understanding of how these systems function in practice.”

Celebrating Women in Tech: Suravi Bhandary | openIMIS (February 2026)
Gender equity in tech is essential for stronger social protection systems | openIMIS (December 2025)
September Bhela: Celebrating Women in Tech | openIMIS (September 2025)
Celebrating Women in Tech: Simona Dobre | openIMIS (July 2025)
Celebrating Women in Tech: Kristin Chloe Pascual | openIMIS (May 2025)
Celebrating Women in Tech: Karolliny Nayra dos Santos Lima | openIMIS (April 2025)
Celebrating Women in Tech: Sylvia Mwelu | openIMIS (February 2025)
Celebrating Women in Tech: Yolande Margaret Goswell | openIMIS (June 2025)