Innovative Solutions to Raise Female Leaders in Digital Technology

Photo by ThisIsEngineering: 

“You can’t be what you can’t see.”

There should be more women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) so other women who want to pursue their careers in STEM can see that it is achievable. However, women are still under-representation in this sector.

Based on the Second ASEAN Women in STEM Webinar 2022: Rising Women Leaders in Digital Technology, August 30^th, 2022, women leaders share how to develop innovative solutions in the digital technology workforce from different perspectives which are from social and education, inside the tech industry, and the private sector.

Through Social and Education

Graduates In Science and Engineering data collected by The World Bank indicated that Indonesia experienced a year-on-year average growth rate of -2.24 percent for the time period 2013 to 2020. In 2020, Indonesia has a value of 19.40 percent of total tertiary graduates, making it part of the Bottom with less than 50 percent for the indicator.

Pranati Bagchi, Founder of The Lavender Spaceship Project firmly believes that young women can be strategic actors in digital technology. As a society, we need to help every young woman to have the opportunity to learn and practice STEM in a risk-free and friendly environment. So, they will find their love for STEM and give them the confidence to pursue it. Meanwhile, educators can do various ways, such as:

1. Increasing the awareness of parents & educators, especially at a younger age.
2. Suggest after-school courses to get a feel for tech.
3. Finding a mentor/role model for the students to get guidance and connections.
4. Finding internship opportunities for students.
5. As an educator, you have to upgrade your skills and stay current with the latest tech.
6. BE CONFIDENT!

Through Inside the Industry

For women who want and are trying to build a business, it is important to find your passion, find your support system, and be resilient. It is also important to show confidence and dare to claim the achievements that have been achieved.

Fransiska P.W Hadiwidjana, co-founder and CTO of WomenWorks Indonesia shared her experiences in the technology industry. Her interest in engineering also prompted her to choose an informatics major at Bandung Institute of Technology. Fransiska also broadens her horizons and adds to her experience by participating in various internship programs, such as a Japanese vendor capital, Microsoft, Google Summer of Code, a summer program in Silicon Valley, and other four internship programs.

Departing from her experience of experiencing gender bias, it is difficult to find female mentors and the desire to give back in order to help women’s career development in Indonesia. Fransiska initiated WomenWorks in April 2020 with the other two co-founders, Windy Natriavi and Nadhira Audrelya. WomenWorks offers mentorship, masterclasses, and opens up opportunities for Indonesian women to connect with one another. She has developed innovative solutions to the region’s most pressing issues and advanced gender transformative technology solutions.

Through the Private Sectors

Digital jobs are growing at twice the pace of other jobs and earning 25 percent more. However, there is a large gender gap in technology due to stereotyping, gender bias, and a lack of role models. Women only fill less than 25 percent of the tech workforce.

Maya Juwita, Executive Director of Indonesia Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (IBCWE) and Action Council Manager of B20 Indonesia shared how the private sector can help close the gender gap in digital technology jobs and provide increased opportunities for women to pursue and succeed in STEM careers with five steps, i.e increasing the awareness of women in STEM, showcasing women representative, Collaborating between private sectors and education providers, Creating family-friendly policies, Conducting programs to support women in STEM.

21 September 2022 | Tiara Tri Hapsari