Continuing their shared mission to advance the role of women in the tech industry, GCash, the number one finance app in the Philippines, and For The Women Foundation (FTW), recently celebrated the graduation of 31 Filipina scholars who are now equipped to make their mark in fintech.
These women from diverse backgrounds recently completed a 14-week Data Science Scholarship Program, allowing them to help shape a more inclusive digital economy, a press release from GCash said.
After weeks of stringent and extensive mentorship training programs, these women now bring with them comprehensive knowledge and skills in data science and technology, which will help them pursue a career in the tech industry, it said.
As the country’s pioneer in inclusive and open finance, GCash undertook this initiative to help empower more Filipinas to join the tech space, which is predominantly a male-dominated industry with only 26.7 percent of women holding tech-related jobs globally. In the Philippines, women comprise only 35 percent of the country’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce.
“Together with FTW, we at GCash aim to showcase our scholars as role models for the next generation of young women interested in pursuing or shifting to careers in technology. We hope our new graduates will continue leveling up, grabbing opportunities, and discovering things that help you as a person to be happy and find your purpose,” said GCash chief people officer Robert Conrad Gonzales.
Driven by its vision to empower women in tech, FTW Foundation co-founder and executive director Cara
Wilson also expressed support for GCash’s pursuit of establishing an equal and diverse tech industry.
“We are honored to partner with GCash as we continue our shared goal of leading the charge to create a community of Filipinas in tech who are empowered to break through the glass ceiling. We hope this is just the start of more meaningful collaboration with GCash in the future,” she said.
The commencement also featured capstone project presentations from each group of scholars who came from various career backgrounds, from accounting to health and dietetics, education, and engineering among others. Through this initiative, the scholars join GCash and FTW Foundation in their efforts to help shape a more inclusive digital economy.
“We are driven by our scholars’ inspiring stories as we continue to work towards empowering and enabling Filipinas to join the tech industry. Graduating from this data science program jump-starts their journey, hopefully, to lead the future of tech,” said GCash chief data officer Sara Venturina.*PR