The perceived notion that the upper management and tech-based jobs – Software Engineers, Data Scientists, Directors – are more suited for men is becoming a thing of the past. History is starting to rewrite itself as we witness an increasing number of women taking charge in this male-dominated industry.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 by the World Economic Forum, an estimated of 26% of workers in Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) roles comprises of women – that is an increase from 22% in 2018. Although we still have a long way to go to reach gender parity in the tech industry, there is no denying that we are seeing progress and progress, no matter how small, is a positive indication that we are a step closer to achieving a gender-equal corporate world.
This year, we are proud to witness Lee Oon Ling, our very own Director at Intangibles Consultancy, Butterfly Kisses and MaCh eX, to be part of this advancement in the inaugural 100 SGWomen in Tech initiative, partnered with Singapore Computer Society (SCS), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Mediacorp to acknowledge the efforts and contributions to the tech sector from women based in Singapore.
Oon Ling was amongst the top 100 incredible women who were nominated for this award, and was part of a strong community that made contributions to important developments over the past 12 months. She was, amongst other things, considered for her business leadership, technological experience, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to the tech industry.
A Self-Starter and Homegrown Businesswoman
Oon Ling has been achieving technological breakthroughs since 2011, when she set up her first company, Butterfly Kisses to provide businesses with Artificial Intelligent (AI) uniforms and SMART corporate apparels using technology to collect critical data for analysis. Her dedication later led on to the development of the 3D BODY SCANNER, which became one of the first ever technological innovations in the market to replace the manual way of taking body measurements using a measuring tape. Oon Ling is also a business owner of an IoT Software Integrator company called MaCh eX, a leading provider of smart solutions that caters to specific needs, including Smart Temperature Screening, Smart Event Management, Smart Intelligent Uniform and Smart Lamp Pole System, just to name a few.
Apart from being a multi-business owner, Oon Ling also has a reputation as a trainer and associate lecturer with several educational institutions, including Nanyang Technological University (NTU). As an expert industry in the technological and digital landscape, she has successfully reached out and mentored many learners that consisted of business owners and start-ups and helping them in their digital transformations. Till date, she has a considerable following where students look up to her in her teachings, guidance and advocacy for lifelong learning.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
It has definitely been a wild ride making it this far as a woman in male-centric industry. Despite a slow progress, it is still important for us to continue recognising the works by women and understand that we should not be benchmarking the level of an individual’s competence based on their gender.
Which is why this “Singapore 100 Women in Tech” initiative is highly noteworthy as it not only aims to revise the conventional demographic makeup of the tech industry but more importantly, it is a celebratory event to inspire girls and young women to be equally ambitious and continue stepping forward to break the glass ceiling.
For more information about this, click here to visit their main page.
To check out the nominees, click here.