THE Philippines must address a gap in women’s participation in the technology industry, an official of Lenovo Philippines said, pointing to the need for the government to work towards greater diversity.
Anna Maria M. Abola, commercial marketing manager at Lenovo Philippines, said that the industry is still male-dominated, although there has been some improvements.
She said the government should start campaigns and support human resources policies on diverse hiring.
“The other challenge also is really, stereotyping, and it’s still that mind-set that the male population can do it better, especially in the tech industry,” she said in an online video interview.
Biases against women must be addressed, which continue to exist despite equal representation within an organization, she said.
Ms. Abola leads local efforts in Lenovo’s Women in Leadership Development Programme, which achieved 20% female executive representation, and offers training and mentorship programs in the company.
Women in Asia are less likely to be offered a “challenging leadership role,” with 58% of them likely to receive such an offer compared with 77% of men, the Center for Creative Leadership found in a survey released this month.
The Philippines again topped a global survey on the role of women in senior management, with more women taking on top roles in mid-market businesses compared with 28 other economies, the Grant Thornton International’s 2021 Women in Business Report showed.
Filipino women took on 48% of senior leadership roles in mid-market businesses, up five percentage points from the previous year, when 32 economies were surveyed.
Globally, 31% of positions in senior management teams were held by women, higher than the 2020 figure. — Jenina P. Ibañez
