Sahar Yadegari en Elsemieke de Jong: "Technology can be beautiful, but it can also reinforce discrimination and exclusion"
From international development to tech closer to home
Elsemieke spent years working in international development around the rights of women and girls. But it started to feel off. "I was sitting in the Netherlands with the contracts and the money, while partners elsewhere were doing the real work. That felt less and less equal. And with a young family, I wanted to make a difference closer to home."
She found that place at VHTO. "What I love is the systemic approach — you look at every stage of life, from school to the labor market. And at the same time, I can do hands-on work while also contributing to the bigger picture."
Fighting spirit and commitment
Sahar followed a very different path. After years as a consultant at PwC and EY, she missed the social engagement that had once drawn her to public administration. "My father was a political refugee. He hoped I would choose something 'safe.' But it turns out I'm more like him than he thought."
Through a fund that invested in democracy and technology, she discovered the darker side of tech. "Technology can be beautiful, but it can also reinforce discrimination and exclusion. And the sector is so powerful, yet so one-sided in its composition." Five years ago, she made the move to VHTO, where she has been working toward an inclusive tech future ever since.
The mission: technology for everyone
VHTO's mission centers on getting more women and girls into tech and IT — not as an end in itself, but as a means to make technology better and more equitable.
"Every day we see how decisive technology is in our lives," says Elsemieke. "But the group coming up with solutions is still far too homogeneous. If we truly want inclusive technology, women need to have an equal voice and an equal role in building it."
Sahar adds: "Conservative forces have an easy story: go back to how things were. We need to have far more imagination. What does a non-sexist city look like? What does technology look like when all voices are heard? That's our mission: not just to criticize, but to sketch inspiring visions of the future."
Obstacles and resilience
That path is not without bumps. Resistance comes with the territory, they note.
"How do you tell people to do things differently, without telling them they're doing it wrong? That's an ongoing search," says Elsemieke.
Yet resistance can also be something positive, Sahar emphasizes: "When there's backlash, it means you've set something in motion. You've touched a nerve. That's exactly the moment when change becomes possible."
VHTO also wrestles with scalability. One-on-one interventions work well, but never reach the hundreds of thousands of teachers and employers that are needed. And like many social organizations, VHTO feels the pressure of fundraising and administrative obligations, which often get in the way of innovation.
Stronger together
What keeps them going is the culture within VHTO. "We support each other enormously. There's always room to ask for help, and we often go to meetings in pairs. That provides a sense of safety," says Elsemieke. "And it's precisely through reflecting together — like we're doing now — that new ideas emerge."
Sahar sees it as a core responsibility: "We need to learn, as a team, to be comfortable with the storm outside, while maintaining a safe foundation within. That's the only way changemakers can keep going."
A point on the horizon
Where conservative voices often long for the past, VHTO deliberately chooses to look forward. That requires imagination — but above all, perseverance.
"Every time we show girls that tech is also something for them, or help a company realize how valuable diversity is, we take a step forward," says Elsemieke.
And Sahar concludes: "Real change is tough, slow, and sometimes exhausting. But it's right there, in that long game, that hope lives. Because if you keep going, technology can become a place where everyone feels at home — and where solutions emerge that move all of us forward."
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