As International Women’s Day approaches once again this year, the focus in the IT sector is again on how far women have progressed in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
While it has become more diverse in the past five years, the proportion of women in the sector is still considerably low globally, at under 30 per cent.
Mel Migrino, who has spent more than 20 years in data protection and cybersecurity, is one IT leader who has the climbed the ladder and understands how tough it can be for a woman in the sector.
Now the Southeast Asia regional director for Gogolook, a Taiwan-based AI and anti-fraud software company, she is also the founder of the Philippines Chief Information Officer Association (PCIOA).
It was hard even to be heard when she first joined, and there was fear that a mistake could make her look like a weak link in the team, she recalls.
It took courage and perseverance to overcome these obstacles and prove herself at her work, she says, adding that she was helped by a mentor who believed in her.
Ultimately, businesses that make use of the different skillsets that women bring to the table will succeed in an uncertain world because the diversity adds to its strength, she tells Techgoondu, in this month’s Q&A.
Q: Briefly, could you describe what it was like entering the IT field as a woman early in your career?
A: It was mixed emotions for me when I entered the IT industry at an early stage in my career. All my bosses were male, well experienced and even my peers were mostly male.
It was hard to be heard at that time. I was excited to learn new things but afraid also if I failed on certain assignments or projects as I might be treated as a weakling in the team.
It took a lot of courage for me to make a turnaround and master my work so I can be competitive with the others. Through my determination and hard work, I was able to win the trust of the leaders and peers and was able to join key projects at that time.
Q: What has changed and what remains the biggest challenge for women in this sector?
A: Before, the IT industry only recognised male as leaders and drivers for change. But for the past few years, there has been some improvements already like in Asia, the proportion of women in tech is at approximately… 27 per cent.
There is very slow progress from the previous years. But it is good to know that many organisations are now starting in see the benefits of having more women complement the workforce from the leadership suite to the analysts roles.
Among the biggest challenges are the lack of opportunity for women to be given proper education as well as mentoring and coaching to continuously progress in their respective careers.
I strongly believe that they should be given sufficient awareness and protection so they can continue supporting their respective employers and take care of their families and loved ones.
Also, there are also not enough programmes for women to develop management skills that will blend with their growing skills on technology.
I also see a need for expanded platforms where there is more encouragement for students in STEM courses to take up IT roles after college.
Q: How important are mentors to help young women grow in this sector?
A: Let me take myself as an example for this. Aside from the personal investment I did to enhance my technology and management skills, I guess I am lucky enough to have a mentor.
My mentor is a male seasoned executive who runs his business not only in local country but within ASEAN. I learned many things from him from ICT, business and accounting to management and developing soft skills. He has been instrumental in my career growth and in my overall personal development.
A mentor is key in the progression of everyone. Specially for women who tend to experience gender-biased decisions in the workplace and communities.
A mentor gives us proper advice and guidance on how to navigate in this VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world. For me, my mentor is, at the end of the day, a strong ally.
Q: Do you see more women involved in senior roles in IT in Asia-Pacific in the coming years?
A: Definitely, this is happening and it is something wonderful to look forward to. Women have special skills that will highly complement that of men leaders and this combination, when fully utilised, can make great outcomes in a company that will ultimately affect your bottomline.
