To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, Huawei organized a public “Women in Tech (WIT)” roadshow featuring female role model stories, women leadership and tech talks, and a booth tour of the latest technologies and actions for diversity and inclusion by Huawei and its partners. This event aims to inspire a new generation of female talents to join STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs and career paths as part of the drive towards an inclusive and sustainable future. The event is also part of Huawei’s ongoing cooperation with UNESCO, the international telecommunication union (ITU), and academia to empower more ICT talents for the digital future of Thailand and the world.
According to the latest Global Gender Gap Report 2023 by the World Economy Forum, STEM occupations are an important set of jobs that are well remunerated and expected to grow in significance and scope in the future, but women remain significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Women make up almost half (49.3%) of total employment across non-STEM occupations while they make up just 29.2% of STEM workers. Huawei hopes to contribute its efforts towards moving the needle, officially launching the Women in Tech initiative in 2020 under three core principles: Tech For Her, Tech With Her, Tech By Her. The initiative has continued to grow and has now been adopted in over 50 countries.
“NIA is glad to witness the first Women in Tech officially launched in Thailand today. In Thailand, digital talents from both female and male workforce are becoming important drivers for economic development and opportunities. And NIA is willing to work together with partners including Huawei to cultivate ecosystem for innovation entrepreneurs and digital talents and enable Thailand to successfully build a digital hub for ASEAN.” Dr. Krithpaka Boonfueng, Executive Deputy Director (Innovation System), National Innovation Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology (NIA) emphasized the important of innovators and digital talents.
Mrs. Piyatida Itiravivongs, President of Huawei Cloud Thailand, addressed Huawei’s approach in a keynote speech: “As a leading technology company, Huawei upholds our mission to ‘Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand’ to enable an inclusive digital future. In 2023, Huawei will continue to drive digital talent cultivation through three key focus areas, namely Cloud Developer programs, digital power engineers, and digital inclusion such as Women in Tech. We are making the appeal for more young people to join these programs.”
Regarding opportunities and challenges in the digital era, Ms. Montakarn Suvanatap Kittipaisalsilp, Associate Project Officer for Culture, UNESCO Regional Multisectoral Office in Bangkok, expressed her appreciation to Huawei and partners for organizing the event and reiterated UNESCO’s commitment to promote gender equality throughout education systems, from early childhood to higher education – in both formal and informal settings – and from planning infrastructure to training teachers.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Sunantha Sodsee, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Digital Innovation, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, also provided her insights from an academic angle, expressing that “universities must work with the government and industry partners like Huawei to harness the power of technology for a digital and greener tomorrow”.
The booth tour at the event allows the public to learn how green energy storage battery products and residential photovoltaic solutions contribute to a greener world; how mobile phones, smartwatches, and AR and XR solutions enrich people’s lives; and about UNESCO-led actions to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Attendees can also sign up for the Cloud Developer program.
Additionally, the event marks the first time the Digital Bus, Huawei Thailand’s CSR project, has been made open to the public. The program has delivered digital knowledge to 3,000 students, workers, and medical staff in rural areas across 12 provinces and has made a significant impact on education and skill development. The involvement of 27 schools in this project highlights the collaborative effort to provide access to digital education in underserved areas.
This event also shows Huawei’s continuous cooperation with ITU on the “Girls in ICT” initiative, where Huawei has provided 5G, cloud, and cybersecurity training to more than 40 students. The youth representatives from ITU expressed their appreciation to Huawei and partners, encouraging other students to participate in the digital skills training program and unlock exciting career opportunities for themselves.
Following the success of these programs, Huawei recently announced a 3-year plan to train 20,000 local cloud developers and encourage students, both girls and boys, to actively participate in the Huawei Developer Programs. These initiatives emphasize Huawei’s ongoing commitment to unleash digital and better the lives of all people through partnerships in Thailand.
On 22 June, Huawei Thailand was honored with the prestigious Prime Minister Award as the “Best of Contributor in Human Capital Development” by the National Innovation Agency (NIA). This recognition highlights Huawei’s extensive efforts in fostering digital talent and supporting the growth of Thailand’s 5G, cloud, and green ecosystems.
Source: Carl Byoir & Associates
