Kyzzhibek aims high

EST Media

Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova (@batyrkanchik) leads a team of women who aim to launch Kyrgyzstan’s 1st ever satellite.  As the program director at the Kyrgyz Satellite Program she built a team of unstoppable women who will make history. They learn the basics of engineering and apply those skills to build a nano-satellite that can collect and analyze data from outer space. . Once they reach the final goal of securing a launch service provider, the satellite will be transported to the International Space Station and launched into orbit.  In a country where young women face rigid gender stereotypes and even kidnapping that forces them to become wives, the women at Kyrgyz Satellite Program are pioneering a new space for girls in STEM.  Producers Joy Jihyun Jeong Didem Tali  Director of Photography Didem Tali  Editor Ruolin Luyo  Assistant Editor Haruka Motohashi  Managing Editor Keshia Hannam  Senior Producer Stephanie Tangkilisan  Post Supervisor Syarifah Sa'diyah  Original Music By Fabian Mazur  Color Haruka Motohashi  Sound Ernesto Suarez  Special Thanks Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova Kyrgyz Space Program  Original Theme Song & Music by Fabian Mazur  Additional Archival Material Kyrgyz Space Program NASA

Transcript

00:00 I was born in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

00:03 Fortunately, my parents were pretty progressive,

00:06 and they told me to study.

00:08 I excelled at mathematics and physics at school,

00:12 but the society was constantly telling me

00:14 that men are better at technologies.

00:18 And I understand that many girls in my country,

00:21 specifically in rural areas, have to face it every day.

00:25 Everyone telling that you have to get married,

00:28 a good wife, a good mother.

00:31 And this is what really bothers me,

00:34 because I really want every girl and woman to believe

00:39 that your happiness is not determined by your family,

00:43 by your children, or your husband.

00:46 I think when you're doing something new in a country,

00:51 and you're a pioneer, it is always hard.

00:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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