Towards greater gender diversity in tech

By Job Eloja

With Singapore considered as Asia’s digital capital, it’s no surprise that the tech sector in Singapore is thriving. Based on data from market research firm Statista and The Straits Times,18 out of 85 of the country’s fastest-growing companies in 2019 were technology companies. Yet in terms of diversity, only one Singapore company —telecommunications conglomerate Singtel—made it to the world’s top 100 companies for diversity & inclusion

To foster greater diversity in the tech field, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) launched the Singapore Women in Tech (SGWIT) initiative in last October 2019. SGWIT aims to attract, retain and develop women talent in diverse tech-related careers.

As part of their thrust to promote careers in tech to girls and women, SGWIT—along with IMDA, the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) and Mediacorp—released the inaugural Singapore 100 Women in Tech list during a webinar on 4 September 2020. The list celebrates women who have made significant contributions to Singapore’s tech ecosystem over the past year.

In the webinar, three of Singapore’s top-tier leaders shared their thoughts on the exciting possibilities created by having more diversity in tech. Here are a few highlights from their respective speeches.

More open doors for women in tech

As Patron of the Singapore Women in Tech movement, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo delivered the webinar’s opening remarks. Over the course of her speech, she touched upon how only 30 percent of infocomms media jobs in Singapore were occupied by women. Given this sobering statistic, Minister Teo said, “One of the things that makes me most excited about today’s event is the fact that we are introducing 100 outstanding women in technology.”

Two outstanding women were highlighted in Minister Teo’s speech. The first is Ms Tey Shuwen, Director of the Sensors Division of DSO (Defence Science Organisation) National Laboratories, who develops state-of-the-art radar systems to keep the country’s skies clear of unwelcome intruders. Another is Ms Rika Lim, who works in Ubisoft as a designer of top-rated games in Singapore. With online gaming on the rise due to COVID-19, many people may have already played the games designed by Ms Lim.

Despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, Minister Teo mentioned that the pandemic has also created numerous opportunities for career growth in many infocomm fields. “Before COVID-19, a lot of companies and industries were already thinking about digitalisation,” she explained. “With COVID-19, we see a lot more roles opening up in tech-related fields,” she said.

With these new career options opening up, Minister Teo wants more women to take part. For interested women, she advised getting in touch with the SCS or IMDA. “They want very much for you to make progress in the technology fields,” she concluded.

More women in the workplace, more profits for companies

“Singapore’s 100 Women in Tech are outstanding examples of true female leadership in tech,” said Dr Chong Yoke Sin, president of the SCS. Dr Chong is an outstanding example of female leadership herself, as the former CEO of infocomm company NCS and healthcare IT agency Integrated Health Information Systems.

With her wealth of experience, Dr Chong emphasised how having women in the workplace, as well as in leadership positions, is beneficial for all companies. After all, men and women each bring different points of view to the table. When they complement each other, companies perform better overall, she added.  

With that, it’s in the best interest of companies to encourage more women to lead them.

What can companies do to foster diversity in their teams? Dr. Chong has two recommendations. The first is to “consider putting some of our remarkable women leaders from the Singapore 100 Women In Tech list on [company] boards.” Secondly, she encourages them to be part of the SCS to serve as mentors for budding talents in the tech field. “They are the models for us and the next generation to follow,” Dr. Chong remarked.

More brave women who take the leap

Beyond tech, the military is another traditionally male-dominated sector. Despite this, trailblazers like Ms Gan Siow Huang have dared to take the lead. As the first female general of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Ms Gan shared that her military career was full of adventure. “It was not a common path for women then. But I’m glad I took the leap and stayed the course.”

After serving the SAF for more than 25 years, Ms Gan is now the Minister of State for Manpower and Education. In a fireside chat with Ms Jane Lim, IMDA’s assistant chief executive for sectoral transformation, Ms Gan revealed her advice for girls considering a career in tech. She mentioned two things: First is to make sure that the role is something they would love to do. Secondly, bravery is essential. “Don’t have self-doubt and don’t be held back,” she said.

For Ms Gan, it’s important for women to take on opportunities as they come. 

For women considering tech fields, this is powerful advice. Just go for it, take the opportunity, and strive to make a difference.

Innovation is often driven by people who dare to challenge norms. For Dr Chong, the Singapore 100 Women in Tech “belong to a rare breed of go-getters who redefine boundaries and recreate them.” To know more about these go-getting women, click here for the full list.