Industry observers are taking stock of the state of gender equality versus technology this year in line with the United Nations' International Women's Day (IWD) 2023 theme* DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.
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| Concept art of a woman generated by Dream by WOMBO. |
"Women are still facing challenges, especially in high-demand fields such as information and communication technologies (ICT) and engineering, and are under-represented in STEM fields, which are essential for the growing technology and digital job sectors. Data from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower reveals that as of 2020, women only accounted for one-third of the total workforce in STEM jobs," she shared. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
"However, it is encouraging to see that women across the world, and in Singapore, are embracing online learning to develop these in-demand digital skills that can help accelerate their entry or return to work and promote economic mobility. The share of enrollments in STEM courses from Singapore's female learners on Coursera has risen from 30% in 2019 to 36% in 2022. They’re increasingly enrolling in courses like Foundations: Data, Data Everywhere, Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design, Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions and Foundations of Digital Marketing and E-commerce. This is a positive trend that could narrow the gap," she said.
"Progress isn’t a solitary journey. Organisations must leverage the opportunities created by remote work and online learning to make meaningful changes, and empower more women to benefit from the promise of a digital future," she added.
With technology extending into all industries, thoughts from Shyn Yee Ho-Strangas, MD, Data and Software Solutions (DSS), PropertyGuru Group, are particularly apt. She shared: “This year’s International Women’s Day theme of DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality resonates deeply with me. Technology can be a game changing enabler in bringing about diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is particularly empowering in the data, technology, and real estate sectors as we are building cities and communities for the future – one that needs to be more equitable and inclusive, offering fair opportunities for everyone to live, work and thrive, and access housing, jobs, and for community participation.
"As the Managing Director for Data and Software Solutions at PropertyGuru Group, I’m proud that we, as a group, act on our commitment to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organisation and innovate with technology to make property data and insights accessible to all. With our increasing investments, we will continue to push towards an equitable future that is powered by technology – a future where communities can live, work and thrive in tomorrow’s cities.”
Shweta Jain, Senior Director of Universal Banking at Finastra also touched on the current lack of representation in the tech industry. "Women are still under-represented in the tech industry, particularly in leadership roles. When there are fewer women in positions of power and leadership, it can be challenging for aspiring women to find role models to emulate. This can make it harder for them to envision themselves in leadership roles, which can limit their ambition and career aspirations.
"One of the most effective ways to overcome this challenge is to find mentors who can provide guidance, advice, and support. Look for individuals who have experience in the industry and are willing to share their knowledge and help you navigate your career path. Additionally, seek out allies who are willing to advocate for you and support your career advancement," she said.
"As a woman in tech, or indeed any industry, do not downplay your skills and try not to second guess your ability to take on the sorts of bigger projects or increased responsibility that will help you advance. You have unique strengths, so know your worth and don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve," she advised.
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, took the opportunity to announce it is renewing its commitment to increase the number of women active and employed in Web 3. Binance to date has invested to support women in more than 10 countries around the world in women-focused education and mentorship initiatives, and will increase those efforts in the year ahead, the company said.
Binance Charity donated US$2 million to fund over 36,000 dedicated Web 3 scholarships for women in 2022, and will continue funding courses, programmes and scholarships in 2023 with a focus on women and under-represented communities. With women comprising only 37% of crypto owners1, education is key to empowering more women to join the industry, the company said.
Binance was co-founded in 2017 by Yi He, making the company one of the 292 crypto companies in the world with a female founder out of over 10,000 companies2, Binance observed.
In order to further address the gender gap, Binance offers various early career programmes, such as the Binance Accelerator Program, and undergraduate internships which offer more access to careers in crypto for diverse talent. The company also offers guidance and career advice to women through female mentorship programmes, talent workshops, educational courses and lectures to share industry experience and insights on how to break into a career in Web 3.
"As one of the few female leaders in the industry, I believe that we have a mission, through Binance Charity and Binance Academy, to help more women understand Web 3 and Blockchain technology - our education and internship programmes aim to empower young women with knowledge and skills ready for industry disruption," said Yi He, Binance co-founder and CMO.
"We believe that anyone with ideas can change the world, regardless of gender. We hope these commitments will result in more women on the front line of innovation and bring change to our industry."
In addition to providing free crypto educational resources in more than 30 languages on Binance Academy, Binance will be waiving trading fees3 through March (code IWD2023) as an additional way to welcome new users to crypto.
Like Binance, She Loves Data is creating equal opportunities for women in their career development. Jana Marle-Zizkova, Co-founder and volunteering CEO at She Loves Data said, “As businesses across all industries embrace digital transformation, corporations and employers struggle to fill roles across all digital skills domains. We hope to narrow the digital competence gap with our new SLDxDigital’s programme.
"In the long run, She Loves Data aims to provide a supportive professional network to develop a solid pipeline of women leaders who are ready to enter the C-suites and board rooms. In response to the global talent shortage crisis and under-representation of women in many industries, we hope both the private and public sector can take an active role in supporting communities like She Loves Data as we seek to future-proof the workforce by training tech, digital and analytics skills."
The new SLDxDigital training programme aims to provide reskilling pathways that will equip women with transferable skills in areas of digital innovation, digital analytics and data-driven digital marketing. SLDxDigital is spread over three modules, with each module lasting four weeks. Classes will be delivered virtually on Saturdays.
The curriculum is prepared and delivered by experienced industry professionals. Training materials are reviewed by the Advisory Board with Georges Mao from Meta as Board Chairman, David Dubois from INSEAD, as well as with Jana Marie-Zizkova and Priyanka Dwivedi from She Loves Data. Upon successful completion of each module, participants are awarded a digital certificate.
Dr Priyanka Dwivedi, Research Fellow affiliated to Anglia Ruskin University, is a Program Advisor for SLDxDigital. “Communities such as She Loves Data create a safe space for learning and networking for women which has a profound bearing on their careers. Peer learning is recognised as one of the most potent means of impactful learning. Networking builds social capital that may translate into mentorship, referrals, and sponsorship opportunities in the future.
"In doing so, these communities hold great promise to facilitate the corporates' diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives by increasing the representation of women in tech roles and building a talent pool of skilled women for promotions to senior roles,” she said.
The ongoing Digital Trends foundation training workshop, part of SLDxDigital, consists of four classes - Blockchain, Web3, NFT, and Metaverse. Attendance for all four classes is required to qualify for certification, but attendance remains open to all for the remaining classes.
Sessions run from 4 pm to 7 pm Singapore time:
- March 11, 2023 - Web 3
- March 18, 2023 - NFT (non fungible token)
- March 25, 2023 - Metaverse
Register for the foundation training workshop or further workshops at https://www.shelovesdata.com/programs/sldxdigital/
Hashtags: #InternationalWomensDay, #IWD, #IWD2023, #PowerOn, #EmbraceEquity
1 TripleA.io: Global Crypto Ownership.
2 BCG.com: Gender Diversity in Web3.
3 Promo code covers trading fees up to the value of US$600 during the month of March 2023.
*The International Women's Day theme for 2023 is Embrace Equity.
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