Living an intentional life to live a life of purpose
Women@SheLovesData
Venetia SK Ho
Global Operations Specialist
Edited by Rasyida Paddy
As a millennial, I’m very conscious of how I contribute and give back to society. I’m
extremely grateful to be surrounded by people who inspire me to grow and be a better
person every single day.
When I came across She Loves Data back in 2020, I was super impressed by what the organization stands for, its mission and the way the community operationalized itself to inspire more women to pursue careers in data. As a data enthusiast, I knew I wanted to be part of this community. And that was how my story as a volunteer in the global operations team at She Loves Data started in July 2020.
Two years in, and I’ve learnt so much from my fellow team mates and other volunteers. During my time with She Loves Data, I am happy to have met and worked together with members from various parts of the world. Leadership and crisis management are the biggest areas of growth for me. Keeping a community engaged during the pandemic when we had
to go fully virtual was no mean feat. The fact that we persevered on and continued running the programs that we did during this period shows the level of passion and commitment from every single volunteer we have in this organization.
Like many fellow volunteers, I’ve had to learn to juggle my time and. One of the challenges about volunteering would have to be dedicating the right amount of time and energy to deliver quality work, while balancing time between families, friends and a full-time job. That said, knowing that I’m giving my time towards a worthy cause helps keep the fire burning, as
I know I am spending time meaningfully to learn and grow with a like-minded community.
Joining She Loves Data has helped me overcome some of my fears, which I encountered earlier on in my career – which include a fear of negotiation. Thanks to the experiences I have gained both from my full-time job and volunteering work, I have also learnt to be courageous and to seize opportunities to practice my skill to be a better negotiator.
So what advice do I have for other young women like myself looking to find their breakthrough in their careers and life in general? Find your tribe. I’ve truly gained so much by giving back. There is strength in community, and I know I am not alone.
Be the scriptwriter of your own story
Women@SheLovesData
Racquel Sarah Castro, MSIT
Co-Lead, She Loves Data – Manila Chapter
Edited by Nayantara Som
I vividly remember the day when an acquaintance casually asked my mother, “Is your daughter even capable of reading and writing?” That broke her heart and shattered my world.
And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Discrimination has been a part and parcel of my life, and being treated unequally slowly led to disappointment, self-denial sometimes, and even to a situation wherein I started underestimating my capabilities. Looking back, I can’t blame myself. I was only human. However, despite all of this, I never lost hope – faith in that shinning beacon of light at the end of the tunnel.
One day, I decided to shake myself up, stop wallowing in self-pity and told myself, “I am the architect of my own destiny; the scriptwriter and the protagonist of my own story.” That was indeed the turning point in my life. I thereon decided to prove to the world that cerebral palsy will not stop me from achieving my dreams. It would not be an obstacle, but instead a springboard to my goals. It became my asset. The catalyst that infused a fire in my belly. My superpower.
And since then, it has been no looking back.
I went on to publish five self-published books and anthologies. I started a YouTube channel, wherein I featured some of my passion projects such as She Loves Data. I was featured by our senator in the Philippines, Sonny Angara in his column in Manila Bulletin. I was also featured by different local and international bloggers. My former employer, City Government of Binan, also offered a scholarship grant for me. I will be forever grateful.
People often ask me, “What kept you going?” A lot of factors, but my family was the most important factor. I had this urge to take care of my family, being the first-born child. It is this drive that has helped me achieve my goals. Yes, my journey has not been straightforward – there have no doubt been lot of ups and downs. Losing my father was one of them. It really shook me. But I had to move forward for the sake of my family, and for myself.
Joining She Loves Data has been a turning point in my life. To me it represents an ideal, a movement. A movement that empowers women and helps them stay relevant in a data-driven world. Upskilling is key if we have to thrive and progress. Being a volunteer helps me encourage women to pursue a career in data and technology, to help them walk shoulder to
shoulder with their male counterparts.
Looking forward, I have more goal posts to reach. Getting PhD degree is one of the goals that I plan to accomplish. And yes, having my own farm too. Teaching and guiding the next generation, in my own little way is on my to-do-list. Through She Loves Data I want help women to pursue a career in data and technology.
Getting women in the driver’s seat of the data-driven world: Your success starts with you!
By Rasyida Paddy, with inputs from Shrishti Vaish and Jyoti Kumar Bansal
Rasyida Paddy
Rasyida is a mom, millennial and marketer. She is ever-curious and thrives on connecting concepts and ideas to solve problems.
With economies across Asia opening up and governments in the region recalibrating their strategies to return to normalcy in a post-COVID world, there is so much for us to look forward to. One of which is economic recovery — a key item on the forward-looking agenda for both the public and private sectors across the world.
Some interesting data points: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a 4.4 percent economic growth in 2022. Specific to India, the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2022 report forecasted a GDP growth of 6.5 percent this year.
This promise of economic rebound brings with it optimism about the job market, which was significantly impacted during the pandemic. Data from Statista shows that as of December 2021, the unemployment rate in India was recorded at nearly 8 percent.
On the flipside, the percentage of employable workers in India in 2022 saw an increase from the previous year. Women accounted for slightly more than 51 percent of employability this year. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that women have constituted a larger share of India’s employable talent than men since 2016.
Here’s another statistics worth calling out: Women make up nearly 43 percent of the total graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in India — one of the highest in the world — according to data from World Bank. The growing popularity of online learning platforms like Coursera and upGrad, especially during the pandemic, have also contributed to more female students enrolled in STEM programs. For Coursera, the share of STEM course enrolments by women learners in India increased to 33 percent in 2020 from 22 percent pre-2020, while upGrad saw a 27 percent increase.
Surely, these should be indicative of the progress that we are making towards greater gender equality in today’s economy, isn’t it?
Higher employability, however, does not necessarily translate to actual employment amongst women. Further breakdown of the data from Statista shows that the participation of women in the workforce was negligible in comparison to their male counterparts.
The Female LaborForce Participation Rate (FLFPR) has continued to fall over the last three decades — currently, the women’s workforce participation rate across India stands at 20.3 percent. Within STEM, the sector is experiencing what is called a “leaky pipeline” of women talent, with a survey by Niti Aayog revealing that 47 percent of women in the industry cited family care as a reason for refusing a challenging opportunity in their careers. As we do our groundwork and speak to women in the country, many also cited the lack of support and a strong network as reasons impeding their motivation to grow in the field.
The discrepancy between employability and actual employment, amongst women in the country has piqued the curiosity of our team here at She Loves Data, especially as we are seeing many companies investing into programs to hire more technical women this year. How can we help bridge the gap between talent availability and employment opportunities for women in thiscountry?
The answer is upskilling and learning platforms – learning pathways that will arm and equip them for a data-driven world.
Earlier in February, the Indian government announced that as part of its Union Budget 2022, it will be boosting investments and capacity for skilling initiatives, which will set the tone for a massive push to create more jobs, benefitting women predominantly. We applaud this announcement, and look forward to supporting this agenda through our platform and community.
In addition to skilling programs, organizations like She Loves Data provide women with a network of support and opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals, which we hope will give a boost in the motivation of women pursuing careers in STEM.
As the road is being paved to boost the participation of women in the country’s digital economy, it is still important to note that true impact can only be seen when women take charge and be in the driver’s seat of their career. The foundation has been set for you, and the rest of the journey is yours! The keys to the ignition are in your hands. So what are you waiting for?
No data background yet? No worries
Article by: Emma Foster | 02:00pm August 16 2021
Meggy Chung, Westpac’s general manager of data platforms, has a multi-pronged approach to addressing the data skills shortage. (Supplied)
If you’re already proficient when it comes to working with data, you’ll know your skills are in hot demand.
But even if you’re not, doors to data-related jobs are swinging wide open.
It’s a phenomenon spurred by companies the world over attempting to keep pace with the digitisation of everyday interactions, propelled into warp speed since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.
“It’s a super exciting time, but it’s become a huge issue to find the right skill set,” says Jana Marlé-Zizková, chief executive and co-founder of the global data training community, She Loves Data.
“COVID has sped up in an extreme way not only how people consume, but how they communicate, search, interact – where digitalisation is playing an enormous role. Organisations are needing to adapt, not just their hiring processes but to support the constant upskilling of their people in working with data.”
It’s a challenge Meggy Chung knows well.
Since joining Westpac as general manager of the bank’s data platforms in February last year just as the pandemic began, Chung saw competition for talent heat up even more as skilled migration to Australia ground to a halt.
“Even when borders open, Australia will still have a skills shortage, more so than other parts of the world,” says Chung, who joined the bank from Singapore where she spent six years with Citibank, most recently leading its data services team.
![](https://www.westpac.com.au/content/dam/public/wbc/news/images/article/2021/8/wbc-news-jana-marle-ZIZKOVA_456x370.jpg)
In fact, research by Deloitte Access Economics and RMIT has found Australia needs 156,000 new technology workers in the five years to 2025 to ensure economic growth is not harmed. Globally, Korn Ferry has estimated the shortage of tech workers will represent $8.5 trillion in lost annual revenue in the decade to 2030.
Chung, who previously also worked in the UK at Barclays and Accenture, is taking a multi-pronged approach to tackle the challenge of augmenting her team to deliver on the bank’s growing pipeline of data-led projects, which she estimates will require up to 200 people over the next two years.
Besides throwing her hiring net wider to include talent in non-banking industries, she says her priorities are to rebalance her team so the majority of roles are held by permanent staff rather than vendors, build internal capability so those staff step into the more advanced data roles, and promote the idea that working in data doesn’t always mean you need a data degree.
“I have yet to speak to someone who can’t find a way into data,” she says.
“You can have an operational background, a risk background, work in reporting, analytics, marketing technology, or project delivery – they are all skills you can leverage. If people want to get into data, then chances are I will have a role somewhere.”
To help this mindset shift, Chung has spearheaded a set of initiatives, some aligned closely with her fervent commitment to getting more women into the male-dominated domain.
She’s set up “Data Gals”, an employee-led “tribe” to inspire more women across the bank to make a career shift; and partnered with global organisations with a similar mission, such as She Loves Data, a group Chung first partnered with in 2018 when at Citibank in Singapore.
New data education programs are also being rolled out for bank staff, including “tech talks” for general managers and a four-part series for interested members of the bank’s employee “clubs”, such as the 3000-plus members of under 35s professional development group The Youth Network, covering everything from how to use tools like Tableau to what the future holds for machine learning.
And to increase the bottom-up pipeline of highly sought advanced analytics skills, Chung is dialing up the bank’s focus on university graduates, adding a new data-specific stream to the bank’s existing graduate program, complementing other initiatives such as Westpac’s Young Technologist scholarship program.
“We want these graduates, not just because they come out with data skills, but because the younger generation sees data differently,” Chung says. “They intuitively know more about how and why data can be used by people and what the possibilities are.”
But, Microsoft digital advisor, Ashton Bridge, says it’s tough to interest younger people into data-centric careers – and convince them they can do the job.
![](https://www.westpac.com.au/content/dam/public/wbc/news/images/article/2021/8/wbc-news-ashton-bridge_456x519.jpg)
“It’s all about painting a picture for what careers really look like, even if you haven’t obtained those hard technical skills, like coding,” says Bridge, who will be part of a data panel later this week for Westpac staff.
Bridge’s path to Microsoft is a case in point.
Having started her career as a laboratory assistant, working on autopsies in a hospital morgue, with aspirations to become a coroner, she says she shifted to tech after a project to overhaul the lab’s pathology IT system, and never looked back.
“I’m not a deep technical expert; I rely on people with that expertise,” Bridge says.
“My job is to bridge the gap between them and the business I’m advising to help solve their business problems. I found out I could apply my knowledge and experience into the tech world, and learn on the job, without following the traditional university path.”
Marlé-Zizková says organisations like She Loves Data play an important role in building potential candidates’ “competence, confidence and leadership” – across both soft skills (like project management) and hard skills (like coding and statistical modeling) – through a series of education workshops and webinars. Since founding the not-for-profit in Singapore in 2016, she says more than 14,000 women have taken part in training in 17 countries, including Australia.
![](https://www.westpac.com.au/content/dam/public/wbc/news/images/article/2021/8/wbc-news-codingevent-456x377.jpg)
The group also connects job-ready candidates with opportunities through “recruitment fairs”, virtual events where hiring managers showcase roles while candidates showcase their skills – a mechanism Chung says Westpac soon plans to adopt as part of its partnership with She Loves Data.
Chung says these initiatives go much deeper than simply recruiting talent for her data platforms area.
“We are on a mission to transform Westpac into a data driven organisation,” she says.
“And to do so, the whole of Westpac needs to become more data literate, so that people, for example, those in operational roles, can imagine and use data differently to improve their everyday work.”
![](https://www.westpac.com.au/content/dam/public/wbc/news/images/author/headshot/wbc-news_author-hs_emma-foster_96x96.jpg)
![](https://www.westpac.com.au/content/dam/public/wbc/news/images/author/brand/wbc-news_author-b_westpac_96x96.jpg)
Emma Foster is deputy editor of Westpac Wire. Prior to joining Westpac in 2013, she was a freelance writer, after spending almost 20 years in corporate affairs and investor relations, primarily in large financial services and consultancy firms, in Australia, UK, and Europe. She is also an aspiring photographer.
Featured Volunteer: Lindsay Sunhendra Jap
Aug 18, 2021 | Nikita Phavade
1. Hi Lindsay! Tell us more about your domain, Data Analytics. What does it mean to you?
Data analytics is about discovering insights from data that could bring values to the organization in a form of optimization. For example, improving effectiveness in customer acquisition efforts or reduction in operational costs. So, there are two parts of it; insights generation and value generation by taking action on the insights.
The first part includes digging deep into the data by asking micro questions that relate to the bigger objective. This requires technical and statistical skill. Technical skill is to plow through big datasets via SQL Query and Python. Statistical skill is to understand the behaviour behind numbers.
The second part of value generation involves different ways to communicate these findings to stakeholders. It could be in the form of self service analytics via dashboard or ad hoc analytics via presentations. This point requires soft skills from the analyst, specifically data storytelling. For dashboards, creativity is empirical to know how to present the data in a way that will be easy to understand. For presentations and bigger projects, influence and storytelling skill are more prominent to be able to convince stakeholders on testing out the recommendations.
2. What does a day look like for a Data Analyst ?
Well, it started with a cup of coffee, hoping that nothing breaks in the dataflows. LOL. There are no two similar days as a data analyst. Some days, I am challenged with new technical issues in dataflow. Some days, there will be meetings with business stakeholders trying to understand their needs for insights and analytics work that will enable them to make better decisions. Some days are spent in front of a dark screen coding away in Python to complete a Machine Learning project.
3. What are the best parts, and maybe some challenges involved in your work?
The best thing I enjoyed most about my work is the variety. You get to be technical one day and present your insights and recommendations the next day. I also enjoy the creativity of designing dashboards to showcase data. I am constantly challenged and stimulated intellectually with new problems, which makes it interesting.
The difficult part is influencing the stakeholders to take actions on the recommendations. All hard work on discovering data patterns is all gone to waste if it does not bring value to the organisation. Therefore, understanding how to work with different types of stakeholders is also key to bringing impact through data.
4. Data Mining is a buzzword today, but a lot of us are still trying to catch up. With your expertise, what are the upcoming trends you foresee in your domain?
Analytics on demand might be in the near future. We have seen increasingly that companies are automating Machine Learning processes. Similarly with analytics in general, with the tremendous advancement of NLP (Natural Language Processing) and GPT-3, we can enquire any questions about the data by letting the computer learn about all the tables in our database.
5. What message would you like to give someone trying to carve a path in the Data analytics industry?
I believe curiosity and inquisitiveness are the key qualities you should embrace in this industry. Sometimes the problem is so vague or novel that you might know the answer yet. Curiosity will enable you to probe further to understand the questions better. Willingness to learn will empower you with knowledge in new areas that could potentially solve the issue. In terms of technical skills, SQL and Python are two key skills that all aspiring analysts should be comfortable with. These are the enablers for dealing with big data which usually is not as straightforward to mold according to our needs. Being familiar with data structures and schemas will be important too.
6. Lastly, I want to thank you for all the amazing work you do at She Loves Data Community, how has your experience been?
I am currently part of the Data Integration team contributing as a data engineer. I am in charge of bringing in, cleaning, and transforming data from multiple sources so that it is ready for data visualisation. The team aims to understand how much lives we impact and to learn from the past events on what worked and did not work.
It has been a great experience so far. I am surrounded with smart and passionate people with the same goal in mind whom I always learn from. I am always upgrading and being challenged to go beyond the familiar. It has been fulfilling to be part of the journey of women empowerment in the data and analytics industry.
Origin Story: Why We Do What We Do
Our Origin Story
It all started with a simple question: Where were the women? When Jana Marlé-Zizková and Pavel Bulowski went to work meetings or events in the tech industry, the other attendees were often men. They discovered that many women had a lot of enthusiasm and interest in data analytics and related areas. Yet, not everyone knew how to get started or access community support. This inspired the first workshop on data analytics for women in 2016. In the face of the overwhelming response, one workshop led to another, and then to many more. She Loves Data was born.
As a community, we commit to the belief that women have many talents, virtues, and values to bring to the table. This bears out in our very own logo, which is based on the Coxcomb chart. Florence Nightingale famously used the chart to explain the preventable deaths of soldiers during the Crimean war. She later led the sanitation reform of British hospitals. Just as Nightingale used data to create change, so too can more women become active contributors to a data-driven world. Pam Ooms, our volunteer who designed the logo, felt that Nightingale’s story fitted very well with She Loves Data’s purpose and wanted to borrow design elements from the Coxcomb chart.
What’s Next
Today, 200 years from Florence Nightingale’s time, she continues to inspire as a role model. We also find ourselves in the midst of a crisis, where the need for data literacy and digital skills is more urgent. We are forced to adapt to disruptive changes and in many instances, shift from the physical to the virtual. One silver lining is that the transition has led She Loves Data to create our first webinars, and we’re able to reach more people. At the same time, our community focus remains core.
It’s important that women building skills in tech don’t feel like they are on this journey alone. We understand that it can be tricky to build this feeling of community and sense of belonging online. There is no easy solution, but we can continue to support each other with friendly exchanges in our Facebook and LinkedIn groups. She Loves Data also continues to expand. We’re building local tribes and partnerships in places from Armenia to Vietnam so that more women can benefit from our work. We hope you keep safe and stay strong.
The Importance of a Supportive Network in Trying Times
This article was originally published in The Bulletin Box on 15 April 2021 by the author.
We have seen and continue to see how the ongoing pandemic has set back the progress women had achieved over the past decades. While vaccinations around the world have resulted in some countries easing restrictions and the economy easing, it will take time for people especially women to get back on their feet. In the US alone, the participation rate among working women aged 25 to 54 dropped by 74.2% in September 2020. In a similar research by Affect, it was found that working mothers, in particular, have seen declines in income, career growth, and a negative impact on their job performance.
The “Covid-19 & the Workforce” study by Affect, showed that 68% of men are working full time during the pandemic, while only 49% of women do. “More than one in five working moms (21%) took a temporary leave of absence from a job to handle increased caregiving or household responsibilities.” The impact is not limited to the United States. Globally, the pandemic has shown that it is not gender-neutral.
According to the UN Women and UNDP, this year “around 435 million women and girls will be living on less than $1.90 a day — including 47 million pushed into poverty as a result of COVID-19.” The paper goes further in stating that the effect is not limited to finances. “Violence against women reports have increased around the world, as widespread stay-at-home orders force women to shelter in place with their abusers, often with tragic consequences.”
A Supportive Network
In difficult times, people tend to isolate themselves. However, it is in these trying times that people, especially women, need to strengthen their social ties. There is nothing worse than feeling trapped and powerless.
While some people take comfort in following in the footsteps of people who are larger than life — Mother Theresa, Michelle Obama, Jacinda Arden, or Angela Merkel – that might not be enough for others. There is nothing wrong with relying on the memoirs and sage wisdom from cultural heroes or saints. They can be helpful. However, we can also learn from the experiences of those who are closer to us – our family members.
Outside of the family, there are other networks and relationships we can cultivate. Having a strong support network is particularly important. Below are some of the benefits of having a good support system according to the Mayo Clinic.
Finding a Support System
Finding a network where a person can thrive is a process. Online forums abound for those who value anonymity. Volunteering is another way. There are various organizations in Singapore that need manpower. She Loves Data is one such organization. It is a global not-for-profit community headquartered in Singapore with the aim to inspire women to pursue careers in Data & Tech and encourage them to be bold in their pursuit of a new career.
Depending on the organization and what is required, people can also up-skill themselves by learning while doing volunteer work. I have been part of at least two volunteer organizations since I landed in Singapore. Through these organizations, I was able to hone my marketing skills, primarily because I was able to test out trends, tools, and theories quickly.
Be clear and realistic about what can be achieved. Once a network is found, be an active participant. Networking and volunteering require give and take. I have been fortunate enough to meet so many fantastic men and women who have been and continue to be generous with their time and knowledge. In return, I pay it forward by helping others who are also seeking the same two-way relationship.
Landing a job may not be the immediate result of networking or volunteering, but these help in managing stress or improving mental well-being. Through volunteering, I managed to meet a lovely lady who has since become a dear friend, mentor, and coach. She has helped me deal with stressful situations and has provided me clarity when my judgment gets clouded.
Find a tribe. It can be daunting at first, but it will be worth it.
Resources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/social-support/art-20044445
https://www.timeout.com/singapore/things-to-do/places-to-volunteer-at-in-singapore
The Red Stroller and Signals at the Workplace
This article was originally published by Andrew Foster, CFA on LinkedIn on 13 April 2021. Republished here with permission.
—Andrew—
A couple of years ago, I interviewed someone for a role. Subsequently, they accepted, and we welcomed them into the bank. I am always curious as to why someone accepts a role. Asking “why did you decide to join us?” helps me refine my interview approach. After all, when you interview, you are selling a place to grow and develop, and when you observe, you are equally being observed.
The answer surprised me.
I saw the red stroller in the corner of your office and knew that family life would be considered here.
For context, at this time, I took my daughter to preschool each Monday before heading into work with the folded stroller. I am in no way claiming that this is anything close to an even burden of childcare and certainly wouldn’t have thought anyone noticed.
The experience got me thinking – what signals do we send in the workplace? How do we attract people to work with us, and how do we retain them?
—Garima—
“Every conversation is actually two conversations going on at once” – Nick Morgan, Power Cues.
The “second conversation” that Nick Morgan refers to is the one beyond the spoken word. It includes tone of voice, body language, and other signals that we send out to the listener. The unconscious conversation is far more challenging to influence.
The sign that I work in a great place came in the form of a photo.
Returning to work after a maternity break was a stressful event in my life. During my maternity, a lot changed, including the office location. Taking advantage of the move, my supervisor requested a nursing room (lactation room) complete with a refrigerator at the new site. Two weeks before my return, I received a photo of the new nursing room.
Looking back, I credit my return to full-time work to my manager’s act of kindness and thoughtfulness. I hope to pay it forward to other women and men at the workplace.
Self-awareness is a significant first step in sending out the right signs. If we can follow it up with authenticity, empathy, and consistency, it will help all of us realize our potential.
—Andrew—
My daughters are no longer in strollers, so now what? In a pandemic world, I drop them at school via car each day. In my diary, I have this blocked out as “drop off children at school”.
Perhaps that sounds obvious; however, I commonly hear from industry colleagues that they put dummy meetings in place when carrying out childcare commitments.
Look within your organization – if you are in a leadership role, what signals are you sending? What messages are others taking from your guidance?
As Garima said, are you being authentic and empathetic? After all, a happy, supported team is a productive team.
About the authors:
Garima Mamgain is Singapore-based marketing and strategy professional. She has worked with prominent consumer and business brands. Currently, she leads a critical marketing strategy initiative at a Fortune 500 company. Garima is passionate about driving diversity and inclusion. She volunteers with a non-profit – She Loves Data and is an active member of employee resource groups.
Andrew Foster is a Wall Street executive with a background in large-scale program delivery across London and New York. He specializes in building effective data teams in complex organizations that solve important business challenges. Andrew volunteers with the EDM Council’s Women in Data initiative and leads Affinity Group outreach.
This article was written in partnership with EDM Council Women in Data. Their mission is to provide support for and promote women in the field of data and assist in their development and promotion to more senior roles. Membership is open to all at EDM Council Women in Data and on Linked In
She Loves Data and Cats and Dogs!
Legal professional and SLD workshop attendee Low Wei Ling speaks to Tay Soo Sien on two of her passions: Tech and animals
Founder of Keep C.A. T. S., a Singapore initiative that looks after stray cats, Low Wei Ling was an attendee of one of She Loves Data’s free workshops. Wei Ling is just the kind of person She Loves Data attracts: one who is curious and constantly seeking to do things better.
“As Gandhi said, how you treat animals is a reflection of your society.” Wei Ling reminded me as we found a quiet corner to chat. Like some, she felt society looks at things too much from an economical value point of view. Hence, strays are seen as a burden rather than opportunities. Yet, animals have their value, even strays, as they can be adopted, and teach children about kindness.
The cat aficionado also shared how understanding SQL at She Loves Data workshops sparked completely new ideas about the way we handle animals. Rescue organizations used to need to spend an inordinate amount of time on logistics and operational tasks. Now, there is the choice to automate and streamline many such activities. This allows them to spend more time caring for animals; serving a larger and wider community of pet adopters.
The serial socialpreneur thought about using data to see what kinds of cats are most often adopted or what are the peak periods for abandonment. She wondered aloud how different animal welfare groups can work together to collate such data, noting that it was almost an imperative since they are already so tight with resources.
Looking back at the first workshop she attended, Wei Ling added, “I really like it because it gives me an introduction to what data analytics is about- just a taster!” Subsequently, she met up with course instructor and Director, Consulting and Client Solutions at Meiro, Quinn Pham who helped her understand the challenges and possibilities of using an aggregator based solution for a unified platform for multiple animal welfare groups.
With her interest in data sufficiently piqued, Wei Ling took the plunge, obtained a scholarship, and finished her data science studies in Hong Kong. She was only one of two females out of a class of fifteen men.
We wish her every success in her data and Keep C.A.T.S. endeavours!
Ladies, Keep Your Cool and Carry On
This article is by Soo Sien Tay, She Loves Data PR Lead
As far as conversations on women’s issues go, things have never looked better. Singapore Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli declared (Saturday Jan 30) 2021 as the Year of Celebrating SG Women. Yet challenges remain. One of the most pertinent and recurring issues in every related conversation has been radically changing mindsets about gender stereotypes and traditional gender roles.
This is exactly the primary motivation at She Loves Data; the push for greater diversity and inclusivity in the Tech space. She Loves Data’s global community of 17 chapters operates in 16 countries, with more than 15 000 members from 107 countries. It has pulled together through one of the most trying times in modern history- a pandemic that still rages on, to provide that safe, deeply nurturing, and fun learning environment that takes women further in life and career.
In the past year, She Loves Data has been introducing a series of webinars which is aimed at encouraging and equipping women with opportunities to step up wherever they are. And even in the midst of launching its latest international chapter in London, it organized its most recent webinar, “Career Success, Practical Tips for Becoming Female Leaders in Tech” which featured panelist, Tracy Quah, Vice-President for Marketing, Asia Pacific and Japan, at Informatica.
Somewhere in the course of getting to know Tracy, she revealed the incredible story of how her grandmother risked her life during the Japanese Occupation in order to feed her family of starving children. Few would dare venture where she did. Smuggling opium past truckloads of Japanese soldiers? She was beyond brave. Her resilience and single-mindedness, not to mention the blatant staring down of fear in the eye was practically unheard of among restrained and risk-averse Asian women just after the turn of the century.
Clearly, Tracy inherited her grandmother’s “never-say-die” attitude. She shares freely how this can serve women better, especially in the world of Tech where gender inequality remains a multi-faceted issue despite increased awareness in recent years.
Opportunities Abound
According to a Reuters report, “Singapore faces talent crunch as tech giants scale up” (Wed 27 Jan 2021). The country now needs more tech talent than ever before. The good news is the demand is strong and the supply, weak. Yes, you heard right. This means opportunities are aplenty and the potential, boundless.
In the tech space, the percentage of women in Asia and Southeast Asia has actually surpassed that of western markets like the UK’s and Australia’s. As such, “Tech has become a very powerful lighthouse for change”.
Increasing awareness about gender imbalance in technology has prompted action, resulting in digital talent becoming core people initiatives in most, if not, all companies. While she shares statistics that reveal that Asia has caught up, Tracy pushes the envelope further by asking if that is enough.
Consider Men as Valuable Partners In Your Professional Journey
The way the tech veteran of 20 years and counting sees it, the more involved your male colleagues, and your male leaders along with you in your career, the better!
Gender diversity is not an issue for women only. Successful gender diversity programs today involve men’s participation. Hence, it is up to women to enroll and engage the men in their lives; to make them aware of the unique challenges that women face at work through various life stages. One solution is to turn men into ambassadors for diversity, “both at home and at work”. For females, this takes time, being kind to oneself, and letting go of the perfectionist that may be addicted to people-pleasing.
Speaking about bosses who can be difficult to deal with when they display gender bias tendencies, Tracy offered a huge takeaway, “For all you know the person who is out there to put you down is actually the one who lacks confidence. Maybe he or she could be the one that actually needs assurance.”
Forget Comparing and Forge Your Own Path
Every female leader has their go-to practices for success and Tracy is no different. She summarises three salient points for the busiest of minds.
It is all about purpose, passion, and proactivity. Before all else, define your purpose, and ask what your own path of success looks like. Drop the triggering habit of looking at others and saying, “I want to be like him or her because you are responsible for your own success.”
Then, there is passion. Dig deep down. What are you really passionate about? Your passion is going to make you a wonderful leader and help you groom more of the younger generation. “You have the power to be a change agent. You may not be able to change the world, but by changing yourself, you have already won half the battle. “
In practical terms, this means speaking up in meetings – whether it’s in a meeting or a regular conversation with team members. After all, the difference between followers and leaders is that leaders have a voice. She repeats firmly, “Don’t be shy to share your ideas. No one can deny your achievements. Even though you may lack confidence, your results will speak for themselves.”
And finally – proactivity. Make a plan, pick up new skills, enhance your strengths and use your weakness to your advantage; not as an obstacle. Be innovative and proactive; not reactive.
Strikingly, she puts the money where her mouth is. “There’s no harm in pinging one of us to go out for a coffee or get on a Zoom call…”. In fact, she offered to mentor two lucky attendees at the webinar, despite her busy schedule. With such refreshing approachability and readiness to rally women to continue showing up for themselves and their teams, we are assured the work of women who have come before we have not been wasted. The rest is up to us.
Watch the full episode of the webinar “Career Success: Practical Tips for Becoming Female Leaders in Tech” here: https://bit.ly/2MFhEeI
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