BCG Report 2024

Technology is transforming economies and societies throughout Southeast Asia, but the tech sector remains predominantly male. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) partnered Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in a 2024 study to understand this disparity and identify potential solutions. This is a follow-up to the 2020 study on gender disparity in tech in Southeast Asia.

The study of around 4,000 individuals across the six Southeast Asian countries found that the share of women in technology across Southeast Asia ranges from 34% to 40%, reflecting moderate progress since 2020. With 40% of women in technology, Singapore remains at the forefront of promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the tech industry within Southeast Asia.

Companies are taking greater strides to support women in tech, with 70% of respondents in tech companies saying that their company has initiatives to improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women—an increase of more than 20 percentage points over our 2020 survey (49%). Job satisfaction levels among women who currently work in the sector are extremely high at 83%, on par with that of their male counterparts in tech and higher than the average for women in other industries.

Looking into the four key moments of truth in a woman’s technology career, the report recommended specific steps that companies, industry associations, and governments can take to support women in tech. These include cultivating an interest in technology among girls by weaving technology into all aspects of their curriculum and partnering with technology companies and parents, supporting women re-entering the workforce after a break, creating awareness at the workplace to mitigate discrimination and bias, and modelling inclusive practices and engaging active mentorship at senior leadership positions.

Dr Ong Chen Hui, Chairperson of IMDA’s SG Women in Tech (SGWIT) initiative, said, "There has been a noticeable increase in the number of companies in Singapore implementing programs aimed at supporting women in recruitment, retention, and career advancement. We hope the report will serve as a useful guide for industry associations to prioritise their recruiting and mentoring programmes. Diversity and inclusivity in workplace environment is important – it drives innovation and better performance when there diverse perspectives comes together to solve problems. It is also something that many talents in the market look for.”

Vaishali Rastogi, Global Leader of BCG’s Technology, Media, & Telecommunications Practice, said, “Women comprise 34-40% of Southeast Asia’s tech sector, but this proportion is lower for those in technical roles (20-30%) and even lower in senior leadership in these roles (8%). Enabling inclusivity remains an imperative. Diverse viewpoints help the tech industry to push boundaries on development, but also enable adoption. I have seen firsthand how women bring perspectives that uncover blind spots and challenge biases. We need to take a whole- of-ecosystem approach, with companies, industry associations, governments, and individuals to truly foster an inclusive & innovative tech sector.”

As Singapore continues to lead the way in promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, the collective efforts of the community, government, and organizations like SGWIT are essential in driving meaningful change and ensuring a brighter future for women in tech.

Find out more about the report here