Women In Tech Take Center Stage On “Celebrate Women” Forum

In celebration of International Women’s Day last March 8, Google Philippines teamed up with leading online female magazine Cosmo.ph to shine a light on female trailblazers in the field of science and technology, and highlight the role that technology, especially the Internet, plays in enabling women to succeed.

A forum entitled “Celebrate Women” brought together women game changers from different walks of life and industries to talk about their accomplishments and how technology enables their success from their day-to-day lives to their challenging careers.

While stories of success abound, a Connected Consumer survey carried out by Google revealed that even though there are slightly more women online than men in the Philippines, 41 percent of the respondents still lack the time to go online while 30 percent do not know how to do the things they want on the Internet. However, the survey also shows that 70% of the women believe that the Internet could help them improve their opportunities.

“There are many women in the world today who cannot access the Internet, and that translates to missed opportunities for all of us, not just them. By bringing these success stories together, we seek to inspire people as they see that women can make a difference given the right information, tools, and guidance,” shared Gail Tan, Google Philippines Head of Communications and Public Affairs. “We invited these women to tell us how they made a difference despite the odds. With their insights and experiences, other women will know how they can do it, too.”

Cosmo.ph and Google aim to reach young Filipinas everywhere to encourage them to learn about technology and maximize the Internet’s utility to help them achieve their dreams.

Featured women in STEM field at Celebrate Women

Stephanie Sy, CEO and founder of global data science consultancy Thinking Machines, successfully carved her place as a woman in tech by building Android applications in Silicon Valley before coming back to the Philippines to establish her own company.

Stephanie, now a recognized data scientist globally, shared about how she embraced a career in the field of technology notwithstanding the challenges of gender divide while building her own start-up. She was joined by Dr. Vicki Belo, CEO of Belo Medical Group; Dr. Rosario Oreta Lapus, president of Miriam College, and Valenice Balace, who was part of Forbes Asia’s “30 under 30” in 2016 for her contribution to the developer ecosystem as CEO and Managing Partner of Honesty Apps a dating, conference, and community apps platform, which created the Philippine-based social dating app, Peekawoo.

Celebrate Women from all walks of life

The forum highlighted the fact that women from all walks of life can make a significant impact in their society or in their families’ lives once they are able to use technology.

When typhoons Habagat and Yolanda hit the Philippines in 2012 and 2013 respectively, Ros Juan, CEO and owner of Commune Cafe, realized firsthand how the Internet plays a big role for social good. She took part in #rescuePH — a citizen-led initiative that helped mobilize rescue operations during typhoons, and saw the impact it had in helping those in need.

Also sharing their insights on how they made technology work for them while following their passions and enriching personal relationships were Monette Iturralde-Hamlin, president and founder of integrated marketing communications firm TeamAsia, Rowie Matti, CEO of Galileo Enrichment Learning Program, Inc., and actresses and celebrity moms Chesca Garcia-Kramer and Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio.

Support for WomenWill online

As Celebrate Women inspires with real life stories, Google also introduced an online movement called #WomenWill. The campaign recognizes the role that women and technology play in changing the world around them.

“If women are equipped with the right knowledge and information on how to use the Internet, they will be able to do more of the things they love online such as connecting with their loved ones, using technology in their business, or pursuing their passions,” said Gail.

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Dr. Vicki Belo, together with the team of Cosmo.ph, and other influencers, supported the campaign by lending their voices online. The social media campaign is part of Google’s Women Will initiative, which provides women with tools, information, and opportunities to use technology in order to help them succeed.

“We can impact the lives of women who have no access to the Internet by raising awareness about their struggles and challenges. Google believes that we can all do our part to change the numbers and be able to empower women in using technology,” said Gail.

For more information about #WomenWill, visit www.womenwill.com.