Much still needs to be done to ensure gender parity in Singapore’s tech industry. Females make up less than half (41%) of the tech workforce, and only 14% of women serve on the board of tech firms in the city-state.
“To attract women in tech and leadership positions and support them in doing their best work, the focus on gender equality needs to go beyond the representation of women at different levels of the organisation. It is also about inclusion, cultivating the sense of being valued and about equity in providing access and opportunities,” asserts Tan Lee Chew, president of the Women in Tech chapter at the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) and president of commercial at ST Engineering.
She continues: “So beyond recruitment and representation, it is as important to invest in and retain women in organisations and help them to grow professionally.”
The SG100 WIT initiative is one of the ways SCS is helping to build a strong pipeline of women and women leaders in tech. Tan explains the initiative highlights 100 inspiring women and girls who have made a difference in the tech industry or their tech community.
This helps raise awareness about the importance of women in tech, and women can succeed and advance in their tech careers. It also drives the conversation around how more women can be empowered and take up tech careers, instilling a mindset shift against perceived gender bias or stereotypes.
Tan shares more with DigitalEdge about the challenges women in the tech sector face and how SCS’s programmes, like the SG100 WIT initiative, provide community support to enable women to thrive in the tech sector.
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Tan Lee Chew, president of the Women in Tech chapter at the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) and president of commercial at ST Engineering. Photo: SCS
What are the common challenges women face when taking up tech roles and advancing into leadership positions?
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Asian cultural and sociological factors can act as barriers to women taking up positions in the IT industry. For example, Asian women are expected to play multi-faceted roles perfectly at home and work. Too often, these demands translate to women trading off career opportunities and advancement to fulfil their societal roles as wives, mothers or sisters.
Women in Asia Pacific devote 4.1 times as much time to caring for their homes and loved ones than men do, which leads to missed opportunities in career progress and impacts overall well-being and, by default, increases the representation of men in leadership positions in the IT industry.
Unconscious bias, lack of role models, and imposter syndrome are also common barriers. Gender bias and stereotyping continues to impede the promotion of women. Studies have shown that men are more likely to be promoted than women, even when they have comparable qualifications. In her book Lean in, [former COO of Meta Platforms] Sheryl Sandberg described that “professional ambition is expected of men but is optional — or worse, sometimes even a negative — for women…Female accomplishments come at a cost”.
These challenges exacerbate the situation in the IT industry, where women are already under-represented in leadership roles. Structural programmes that can help change the mindset are much needed, and men and women can play a huge role in enabling a gender-equal and innovative workforce.
What needs to be done to break gender bias and rally the support of men in achieving gender equality?
To accelerate change, we need a shift in mindsets to create an environment where women are judged on their merits and do not have to work harder to prove they have what it takes. This, I admit, is a journey though.
Meaningful change is only possible when there is a commitment to build the ecosystem around gender equality rather than approach it as a “tick in the box”.
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It begins with a vision to build an inclusive culture but requires a framework for successful implementation. This might involve setting goals, shining a light on the contribution of women, identifying role models, encouraging women to play an active role in sharing their experiences to break gender stereotypes and mentoring younger women, creating equal access in recruitment processes, defining merit-based development programmes and pathways to promotions and providing community support at company and national levels.
The role of men is often overlooked, but it is vital. Solidarity and an understanding, unshackling of patriarchal privileges, being allies in the journey and consciously supporting and empowering women all play a key role in helping women advance in their careers.
How have SG100 WIT efforts shifted the needle in encouraging women to take up tech careers so far?
Launched in 2020 by SCS in partnership with SG Women in Tech and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the SG100 WIT initiative serves to amplify the voices of women who have made a mark in their careers in tech and celebrate young girls pursuing their passion in the technology field.
We believe and hope that shining a light on these honorees’ success stories and achievements has inspired and will inspire other women and girls to join the industry and step up and lead with focus and impact.
The share of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] jobs was 32.4% in 2020, while women currently comprise 41% of the tech workforce, which is higher than the global average of 28%.
The SG 100 WIT list has played a crucial role in this progress by enabling women to build industry connections and establish a community. A community that further encourages a stronger and empowered gender-diverse workforce by reminding its members that when we choose individually in our sphere of influence to fight bias and stereotypes, we collectively become a force multiplier.
A number of our SG100 WIT honorees have volunteered their time to mentor girls about to graduate from polytechnics and institutes of higher learning. Over the past 15 months, the mentoring programme has impacted 200 graduating students.
Past honorees have made significant career progressions or expanded their influence and contribution into more specific industries with their technology expertise.
This includes Petty Chen, who progressed from being a digital health specialist to the role of hospital lead at Amazon Web Services, expanding her leadership influence and consulting hospitals on digital transformation and moving to the cloud, with her added expertise as a medical doctor.
In this year’s edition, we want to continue honouring women from diverse backgrounds and inspire the next generation of women — those currently nurturing their interest in the tech field, making an impact in their community and showing a potential to do more.
How does SCS plan to further close the gender gap in the tech sector?
We remain committed to supporting and empowering women in their professional development in the tech sector and inspiring young girls to nurture their passion for tech.
SCS and IMDA will continue to celebrate the successes of women in technology through initiatives such as the SG100 WIT list, mentor connect programmes, networking sessions, the Students Ask series led by IMDA, and Women in Tech professional development programmes and Girls-in-Tech mentoring from SCS.
Besides that, SCS — in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and supported by IMDA — recently launched the board readiness programme for women in tech. It aims to prepare women in the digital and technology industry to be board directors and improve digital readiness on company boards. We hope the SG100 WIT list continues to be a hallmark event and a key part of the SG Women in Tech initiative, which will further drive the mission of the Women in Tech chapter started by SCS.
