By Mag Rogers
KUCHING: Women nationwide have been urged to embrace technology to be on par with the men in terms of job opportunities in the country.
According to the founder and CEO of the Centre of Applied Data Science (CADS), Sharala Axryd: “Technology is a thriving industry offering an explosion of opportunities for women and men alike.”
“However, studies show that there aren’t enough women in this field to bring a valuable voice and perspective to help drive innovation,” she said at the official signing ceremony of the MoU between CADS and the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Malaysia (NAWEM) here on Thursday.
The MoU was signed to tackle the issue of talent shortage in the technology industry via increased participation of women.
Sharala added that the increase of women in the workforce could potentially increase Malaysia’s GDP by as much as RM6bil to RM9 bln ringgit as “they are recognised as a pivotal resource to drive economic growth as highlighted in the Budget 2018 announcement.”
“Through Data For Her (introduced by CADS to Kuching), we aim to engage with females from secondary schools, universities and the workforce to break the ceiling through tailor made initiatives that will ultimately close the gender gap in the technology industry.
“We launched this initiative in Kuala Lumpur just a few days ago and we are pleased to extend it to Kuching to engage with women here, especially those from marginalised communities,” she said.
“Partnering with NAWEM in this movement will bring awareness to the current situation, highlight the growth opportunities available and bring the benefits of gender diversity to light,” she pointed out.
