IBM Malaysia Managing Director and Technology Leader Catherine Lian shares with Business Today why gender equality is of paramount importance, especially in the technology sector.
Today is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration to commemorate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is also a day to mark gender equality – which has been encouraging compared to previous decades.
Globally, a new IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) study reveals the percentage of organisations that have made gender equity in leadership a top, formal business priority has nearly doubled since 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the challenges women face in the workplace.
Here in Malaysia, within the technology sector, it is estimated that women make up 35% of the technology workforce. Promoting women’s leadership in technology is also essential. In this light, kudos to Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for leading by example: Its team in the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) department comprise entirely of women.
That said, there remains room for improvement for women to pursue successful careers within the technology sector – and even hold leadership positions. How then can organisations and individual leaders fight false perceptions of movement and drive real, sustainable change for women and other underrepresented groups in the workplace? Here are a few tangible actions to consider.
Reframe women’s leadership advancement in the language of business results
It’s not enough for organisations to only measure progress against narrow goals like increased women’s representation. It is also important to quantify the concrete economic gains that can accrue as you make progress in creating more inclusive teams.
Business results speak for themselves, and I personally see the value in action every day in my work – diverse teams win the deal, solve the problem more creatively, and apply technology in unexpected ways to create a personalised, empathetic customer experience.
The hallmark of a great team is when everyone is heard, seen, and valued. Individual leaders need to take on the responsibility to cultivate a culture where every person knows they can bring their authentic selves to work, confidently sharing their perspectives and supported as they chart their path – and pay close attention to how outcomes change in this culture.
A more diverse team inspires innovation and is essential for growth. At IBM, women’s leadership has been proven one of the business imperatives. Today, women make up 55% of the population in IBM Malaysia.
Equal opportunities for learning, advancement, and career success
A career in technology can be incredibly fulfilling. But this requires work and a strong focus on education and skills. There is no one path to success besides continuous learning. At IBM, we proudly have various online learning/courses and programmes that help IBMers explore new topics and careers so that they can reach their full potential, anytime, anywhere.
These learning platforms resonate with equality in building skills for the future. IBM employees are always encouraged to upskill to ensure that they have the right skills (soft and technical skills) which are relevant in the market so they can always deliver the best to our clients and other key stakeholders.
Every year at IBM, there are also leadership learning programs to keep women in our pipeline and encourage women to lead.
The importance of male allies
Support from other women is critical to the sense of community, but we can’t underestimate the importance of male allies. With men holding a bigger percentage of the tech roles, we can’t change the culture and make progress until men support change too.
International Women’s Day is always a moment to both reflect and look forward. Let’s each be the person who speaks up and leads the way to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces.
None of us alone has all the answers. But, by coming together, celebrating and embracing our differences, we generate more creative ideas, we make a bigger impact, we are more productive, and we deliver better results.
This commentary was contributed by IBM Malaysia Managing Director and Technology Leader Catherine Lian.
