Speech by Minister Josephine Teo at the SGWIT 5th Anniversary

Opening Address by Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information, At the SGWIT's 5th Anniversary (18 November 2024)

Dr Ong Chen Hui, Chairperson of SG Women in Tech

Distinguished guests,

Colleagues and friends,

1. I'm always very happy to join SG Women In Tech events because of the energy and positive vibes that we share as a group of passionate individuals who care about growing the community of Women in Technology in Singapore.

SG Women In Tech has done well but women trying to return to the tech workforce after a break is a challenge

2. SG Women In Tech was initiated five years ago to:

a. attract and develop more girls and women in tech, because however you look at it, we are the minority - maybe not a very small minority - but we are still the minority;

b. raise awareness that diversity and inclusion is great for business. Increasingly, fewer people need to be told about that, but still, there will be some; and

c. establish Singapore as a global leader in creating a supportive ecosystem for Women in Tech.

d. We did not want it to be just lip service. We did not want it to be just an aspiration. We wanted to be a reality, and that was why we started SG Women In Tech.

3. Five years on, as a community, SG Women In Tech has done and accomplished so much to raise awareness and sustain women's representation in the tech sector.

4. According to a recent report by BCG and IMDA, the percentage of tech companies with initiatives to support women has increased from 31% in 2020 to 56% in 2023¹. How has this been accomplished? Well, partly by initiatives organised through SG Women In Tech. Some of these programmes include:

a. Connecting over 115,000 girls in primary, secondary and tertiary schools with female tech leaders who can serve as their role models, so that within their own circles, there is someone who is successful in tech that they can look up to. This programme offers them a chance to have that exposure that tech is not something that only men do, that women can also be very successful in technology.

b. Expanding MentorConnect, a cross-company mentorship programme for future women leaders in tech, making sure that there is a pipeline of women in the technology field who have more than enough capabilities to occupy top positions.

c. Engaging companies to pledge for better support systems. We now have maybe about more than 70 companies, who have signed up for the Corporate Pledge. I think certainly there is room to expand this further.

d. And not forgetting the "SG 100 Women in Tech" list, where we have recognised over 300 women and girls for being outstanding role models and their contributions to the growing tech sector.

5. However, the same report by BCG and IMDA highlighted a significant challenge -- and that is returning to the workforce after a break can be daunting, particularly in the fast-evolving tech industry. This is a particularly acute challenge for women, who often shoulder professional demands and substantial personal responsibilities at home.

6. Consider the experience of Lidya Salim, whom I had the pleasure of meeting. She took a two-year break to have her baby, but experienced difficulties getting back to the workforce despite her impressive background as an APAC Business Director at a tech-marketing agency. She was beginning to feel very insecure about herself, when she stood up at an SGWIT event and posed a question. Whatever question it was, it must have been a great question, because somehow arising out of that, she got noticed and her network expanded -- such that she had support not just from her husband and her family, but also tremendous encouragement from within this network. She then landed a position as a Corporate Sales Account Manager at Google Cloud. That has been three years ago. Well done, Lidya!

7. The fact is businesses stand to gain a lot from having more women return to tech. Such a vast reservoir of skills is lost if we are unable to create room for the women to return. It is certainly a loss to the individual who has the capacity to contribute. It is a loss to the companies who could benefit from these skills, and certainly a loss to our country if we are unable to harness this wonderful set of skills.

8. There is, of course, another value to bringing women back into the workforce, particularly if they have started the family. Businesses often find these women to be exceptional multi-taskers. I myself have been on the receiving end of such women. Many companies are increasingly realizing this, and a very good example is Tata Consultancy Services, which shared that many mothers inevitably develop multitasking skills, as a result of their role at home. Hence, they are very well-suited for project management roles. As a result, TCS has decided that they will launch "Rebegin Singapore" with a commitment to hire 50 returning women in tech.

9. At the International Women's Day in March this year, I had also asked the SG Women In Tech team to explore how we can work with our tech ecosystem to work in systematic support for women professionals re-entering the tech workforce, so that the likes of TCS and the programmes like Rebegin Singapore are not just a one-off type of initiative, that they become more of the norm, and more women and more companies can benefit.

Announcement of Relaunch programme

10. Today, I'm delighted to announce Relaunch - a collaboration with NTUC LearningHub. This has an aim of empowering women to return confidently to the tech workforce.

11. Relaunch is a comprehensive approach to support women's re-entry into the work force. There are four key pillars of support:

a. Structured Capabilities Building programmes to help women upskill and stay current with technological advancements via curated tech and soft skills courses and workshops.

b. Career integration support including community groups or buddy systems to help returning women renavigate the softer aspects of transition and process access to resources.

c. Network of support groups and meet-ups to foster a sense of community and provide opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing.

d. Essential information to reduce the burden of personal and other family responsibilities such as logistical support of childcare, caregiving subsidies, eldercare etc.

12. We already have some early success in Relaunch, as more than 20 organisations have committed to participating, to create more inclusive workplaces and prepare managers for the returning women.

13. We also kickstarted a mentoring programme in partnership with vLookup.AI and the Singapore Computer Society. More than 20 mentors are paired with women returning to work, providing personalised guidance and support tailored to their unique career goals.

14. I would like to thank the pioneering companies in Relaunch, including Ant International Foundation, Emerson, LinkedIn and Rakuten for your enthusiastic support. It is crucial for its success, and we look forward to more organisations joining in.

15. Looking ahead, we hope to see a tech ecosystem where women are not just at the backend, but equally at the front, leading and innovating.

16. For this to happen, we need to continue to inspiring girls to pursue tech and create a self-sustaining ecosystem where women thrive and are also able to contribute to the mentoring of the next generation.

a. Hence, I'm happy to welcome a group of passionate young girls who are joining us from the Girls Love Tech event, which is now in its 3rd year.

b. My message to the girls out there: Technology knows no boundaries and certainly gender should not be a boundary. There is so much that we can all gain by staying curious and learning from one another. And also with technology, keep exploring and experimenting!

Conclusion

17. Let me now wrap up my comments by thanking you once again for being here, by being part of what we consider to be a thriving digital future for all. When Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched Smart Nation 2.0 just a couple of weeks ago, that was what we wanted. We wanted to say that the digital future should enable all of us, not just some of us, to thrive. This thriving digital future must certainly include girls, must certainly include women.

18. Thank you once again for being here and congratulations to SGWIT!

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