Ensuring Equity in Digital Innovation

17 March 2023: Digital technology has become an integral component of our everyday lives. However, a significant gender divide remains in who designs and develops new technological products and who can access, use and benefit from them.

According to a 2019 report by McKinsey, China is home to 114 of the world’s 150 self-made women billionaires, in no small part due to the rapid rise of the tech sector in the country.

But that same innovation also poses new challenges. New technologies demand new skills, and it is essential we can train and support all segments of the workforce to adapt.

To discuss the future of women in digital technology in Asia, Asialink Business and Asialink Diplomacy presented a webinar on ‘Ensuring Equity within Digital Innovation,’ featuring a panel of female CEOs and founders from across the region. The panel included Kate Pounder, CEO of Tech Council of Australia; Nuraizah Shamsul Baharin, Managing Director of Madcat World; Wendy Chen, Founder and CEO of Omnistream; and Jeanette Cheah, CEO and Co-Founder of HEX. Together, they discussed how to pursue and protect gender equity in the rapidly changing world of digital technology.

Key takeaways from the webinar included:

  • The need for business leaders to be equitable and flexible for their employees’ work-life-balance, while pushing employees out of their comfort zone in the work they pursue.
  • The decreasing importance of the nationality of investors for those in global businesses, such as many in the digital space.
  • The continued difference of treatment of male and female professions, in the types of questions they’re asked when looking for investment, and encouragement they receive from their peers.
  • The necessity of both strong female role models and a strong support network to empower women to succeed in technology.
  • The need to keep personal values – such as gender equity – in mind in the output of your work, to ensure innovation doesn’t maintain pre-existing biases.

As businesses continue to take advantage of a rapidly changing technological environment, making it easier than ever to have impact across the globe, it is as important as ever to ensure that impact is equitable and value-based. Diversity of leadership means diversity of thought, which is essential for sustained innovation. This is crucial for businesses seeking to make the most of the rapidly changing economies of the Asia-Pacific.

Watch the webinar recording here.