The technology industry is one of the fastest growing businesses of today. However, despite being an industry that thrives on its progressive nature, the world of innovation continues to be a man’s world.
In the recent statistics reported by Statista, percentage of female employees in the workforce of major tech companies in the United States, range from 43% to 26%, a number significantly lower compared with the labor force that comprises of 46.8% of women. Veering away from the trend of these companies, Acer Philippines helps women break the glass ceiling and champions success.
According to Sue Ong, Sales and Marketing Director of Acer Philippines “To be working in a company whose mission is to break barriers between technology and people, Acer believes that it starts with giving people equal opportunities. It recognizes that diversity is an asset in a male-dominated industry that Acer hopes to level the playing field for the women in our company.”
Beyond the numbers game or the proportion of men and women in an office, gender diversity is present when women are encouraged to lead. When a company is allowing women to spur to leadership positions and they can influence change, equality exists. Harvey Nash and KPMG’s recent global study of IT leadership showed that the number of women in senior roles was extraordinarily low at just 9%.
“Working for 9 years with Acer, I’ve seen many women leaders make their mark in the company, and in turn, in the industry. This is because Acer provides a solid training ground, vast opportunities to learn, and superior tools that can equip its employees to create their own platform for where they can excel,” explains Ong.
Creating a venue for excellence does not only start in the workplace, as Acer believes it is also important to empower the future gamechangers in the industry. With the great need of representation of women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the company finds value in continuously encourage students to take their place in the industry.
“We’ve had several dialogues with our partner schools on how we can support the students in making them realize they have a future in the tech industry. We believe there is an untapped potential in these young women, and we hope to continue paving the way for them whether it’s through our seminars in or through our technology. Our technology has been used as tools to educate young minds and we hope to continue demonstrating that young women have the potential to lead the industry one day.”
The industry has a long way to go in providing more opportunities for women. Lowering the gender parity in the tech industry can convince women, both locally and globally, to take a more active role in designing, creating and sharing diverse solutions that will revolutionize the field. Acer Philippines believes it starts with empowering one woman at a time.