The future of Asia is female
Skills and role models
Governments must invest more in ensuring that digital skills as well as information and communications technology (ICT) courses are integrated throughout all stages of education and are equally accessible to both girls and boys. Educational resources should focus on e-learning so that young people actively use technologies as they learn and improve ICT skills across the board. All education and training resources should be gendersensitive to ensure they don’t perpetuate discriminatory norms by, for instance, using all-male examples.
The private sector should offer apprenticeships and vocational skills training to nurture the talents of young women, including those who might not have had access to a more traditional educational background. This will allow girls and young women to have greater exposure to the opportunities available in digital and Stem industries and facilitate their transition into work.
More female teachers need to be trained and employed in digital learning centres to create a more equitable and safe learning environment for girls. Governments and Internet companies should also commit to protecting and enhancing women’s online rights and privacy, and to combating the harassment of women and girls online.
The final thing we need to do is ensure girls have the right role models and mentors so they can really be the ones leading the way.
If girls see more women in positions of leadership either in the boardroom, in senior management or in elected offices, this starts to challenge the preconceptions of the types of jobs that girls should aspire to. The private sector can do a lot more to address this issue by expanding opportunities for women to succeed in their firms.
This should not be limited to gender quotas in the boardroom, but also create mentoring schemes to nurture future talent, to support and influence personal development and career aspirations and break down some of the occupational stereotypes that dictate the career choices of girls and boys.
Female mentors in particular will help to drive this change. We don’t just want girls to get good jobs, we want them to be the ones creating new jobs. Inventing new ideas, building new tech start-ups into big business, becoming the upcoming leaders of the future Asian economy.
This month in Hanoi, we are cochairing the World Economic Forum on Asean. Our message for public officials, business leaders, civil society and educational institutions is clear. In Asia, the future is female.