Here come the girls – 10,000 of them who have signed up for a professional ex pat network for women working across the world in IT.
Singapore is the latest city to fall to a charm offensive by Girls in Tech, following the relocation of founder Adriana Gascoigne from San Francisco.
She launched the group as a not-for-profit organisation in 2007 and has seen membership soar as ‘chapters’ opened in 38 cities, including London, Tokyo, Dubai and Shanghai.
Members cover the whole range of working in IT – from self-employed contractors, IT start-ups and students to tech companies like Microsoft and Google.
“I was curious why there weren’t more women in the tech industry and so I started GIT for women to find out how to get along with older male employees, share best practices and ask for help,” said Gascoigne.
“People are willing to take more risks in a sector that they don’t know much about. There is a lot of potential in Singapore and I would love to play a role in planting the Silicon Valley seed here.”
Women in Singapore are IT-savvy with one of the world’s highest penetrations for computer-ownership and internet usage, explained Gascoigne.
“Already hundreds of women have joined the group, a mix of ex pats and Singaporeans working in the IT sector,” she said.
Many female ex pats working in IT have to tackle adjusting to a new culture while working in a traditionally male-dominated workplace.
Girls in Tech offers mentorship, help finding jobs, courses and business collaboration.
Singapore is sinking investment in to developing as a technology hub with financial support for internet start-ups.
Gascoigne hopes support from Girls in Tech will help more women develop their skills and businesses by providing personal and professional support.
