The rapid growth of AI in Southeast Asia across various industries has reignited the debate over the inadequate inclusion of women in technology. According to the Gender, AI, and Skill Development in Southeast Asia Report, women are disproportionately affected in the employment statistics. They are likely to get less exposure to artificial intelligence training, receive fewer job benefits, earn lower wages, become overrepresented in low-skilled opportunities, and miss out on managerial roles.
At a time when there is an increasing demand for tech experts to drive innovation, women in AI are struggling to gain a foothold in a male-dominated industry. The report notes that the challenge is not how to keep up with technological development in Southeast Asia but rather how to ensure diversity and inclusive growth. Female labour participation rates are lower than the male rates in all the regional countries, with Myanmar having the highest percentage difference at 28.4%.
The lack of gender diversity and inclusion impacts companies negatively, hurting performance, financial results, collaboration, innovation, and consumer benefits. McKinsey’s report on Women in the Workplace shows inclusive organisations will meet or exceed their profit goals, have lower employee turnover, and outperform gender-homogenous office environments. Furthermore, such organisations are said to be six times more innovative and agile.
Given the benefits on offer, what is preventing the AI sector from including women?
- Barriers to entry for women in AI: According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, LinkedIn data shows women account for 42% of the global workforce and 31.7% of senior leaders across the board. Women comprise 29% of the AI workforce, and only 35% are offered access to AI tools by their employers, compared with 41% of men.
In Southeast Asia, employment rates for women vary, with countries like the Philippines having 95% participation, whereas Indonesia has 40%. Here are the barriers preventing women from making their mark in the artificial intelligence sector.
- Inadequate support for women in the workforce: According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report linked above, a woman’s career journey is complex. She can be a corporate mother needing work-life balance, a single mother needing flexible work arrangements, or a pre-motherhood professional looking for clear advancement trajectories.
Additionally, there are workplace re-entrants seeking opportunities in emerging industries. Companies must offer women the foundation to succeed in the AI sector.
- Gender stereotyping: UN Women highlighted that artificial intelligence mirrors the gender biases in society. The data used to populate and train the AI systems is predominantly male-oriented, meaning women can be excluded or discriminated against in the generated content.
Entrenched attitudes consider women only as wives and mothers and not as income-generating experts. Thus, even their early-life training does not push them toward science, technology, engineering or medicine (STEM) careers.
- Persistent gender biases: Closing the gender gap in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been challenging. Women are not seen as equals, their abilities are looked down upon, and they do not have enough mentors. Female-led businesses also receive less funding than male ones.
- Education and upskilling issues: Educational disparities affect women, such as a lack of adequate funding, insufficient support for pursuing STEM courses, or difficulty in helping young girls deal with technology-related curricula.
As a result, few women who can impact the AI sector are coming through the pipeline. Microsoft’s annual Work Trend Index report 2024 said that 90% of employers believe their workers need upskilling to be ready for artificial intelligence growth in ASEAN. Thus, it planned to equip 2.5 million people in the region with AI skills by the end of 2025.
How to encourage female participation in the AI sector
A gender-balanced tech sector will boost innovation and AI development since men and women have diverse ideas and decision-making approaches. Empowered women are also essential to society as they add to the income generated and cultural and infrastructural improvements made.
AI in Southeast Asia is experiencing a surge in demand, with residents searching for innovative solutions, enhanced decision-making, and operational efficiencies. The market appears on track to reach USD 8.92 billion in 2025 and grow to USD 30.30 billion in 2030.
Stakeholders in the AI sector can encourage female participation by removing gender bias in algorithms to hire talented tech workers. They can modify the data used to remove negative perceptions of women in technology. Furthermore, they can fund regional initiatives, scholarships, and mentorship programmes to train women and girls from an early age to thrive in tech and AI roles.
Finally, governments must push for actionable solutions in the workplace and academia to address gender disparities and provide funding to push for more women in AI. Having more female role models in senior positions will inspire younger ladies to enter the industry, creating a larger pool of talent for companies.