WOMEN empowerment advocates said that technology became a “game changer” for women during the Covid-19 pandemic as it also set into place the work-from-home arrangement.

During the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: the power of e-solutions toward inclusion” committee meeting conducted by the French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Connected Women founder Gina Romero shared the best practices for empowering women inclusion through technology.

Romero noted that millions of Filipino women could not find work unless they got a job offer abroad, leaving behind their families for a better future.

She also believes that technology is an enabler and a “game changer” for women now as there are many work-from-home and remote work opportunities.

“[The women] are really opting out from discrimination, which is the first step so that they can get access to a job,” said Romero.

“And the amazing thing about tech is that they can work from home even if it wasn’t part of their business model,” added Romero.

However, Romero acknowledged that there are still a lot of challenges, especially when it comes to access to devices and connectivity.

For her part, Angelli Recella, MakeSense Asia co-executive director for operations and programs, acknowledged that many mothers, women and even out-of-school youth need opportunities to find jobs.

However, she said that some of them do not have their own devices to look for a job or even work remotely.

“[To advocate] for tech inclusion, we need to go down who has access to technology, and how can we provide that consistency,” said Recella.

She added that some Filipinos, especially young mothers, do not have the opportunity to provide something for their families.

Hence, she likewise pushed for inclusion in technology, too, so that anyone and everyone can have access to work.

Recella and Romero said the technology sector has so much to offer for women’s inclusion.

Hence, they underscored that training programs that would also help upskill women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or general leadership and information technology skills are key to driving effective career mapping opportunities and promote the role of women across the economy.