The first SheTech Summit Beyond Expo 2024 Launching this morning at the Venetian Macao, a host of experts took part in a discussion on gender equality for women in the tech industry.
A key presentation centered on the theme of Gender Lens Investing (GLI) – a term used to describe an investment approach that considers gender equality issues and aims to benefit women economically and socially.
The discussion was moderated by Qiu Jie of ICBC Macau. Panelists included Tao Tao, president of Beijing venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures; Zhang Lu, founder of tech venture capital firm Fusion Fund; Yang An, founding partner of Shenzhen Airun Ventures; and Zhao Bingbing, Greater China representative of London & Partners, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting business development in the UK capital.
Zhao said she is “optimistic” about gender equality, noting that the number of female engineering graduates is almost equal to that of male graduates and that there has been significant progress over the past three decades.
Lu Qi admitted that more women are now joining the technology industry, but she stressed, “We need more [female] Women who are breaking the rules,” especially on corporate boards, which play an important role in driving change. “We need women who are willing to take risks, who are willing to be first,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms Zhao noted that the number of female tech investors in Europe remains low, despite steps being taken in places such as London, such as implementing quotas at certain conferences to prevent them from being dominated entirely by men.
[See more: MGTO head speaks at a UN conference on women and sustainable tourism]
In terms of the advantages of female entrepreneurs, Tao observed that women are more committed to specific goals, have more diverse teams, and are more willing to make changes than male entrepreneurs. Zhang added that women “are masters of managing time,” and said women were more alert to specific details that men might miss.
When talking about the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, Yang Zhiyuan reflected on his own experience and said that he “faced a lot of resistance” in Silicon Valley.
In the final part of the discussion, Professor Zhang stressed that women who aspire to take on leadership positions need not worry about their popularity because they cannot please everyone when making important decisions.
BEYOND Expo, which will run until May 25, provides a platform for key players in Asia’s technology industry to share and discuss relevant issues and showcase the latest innovative technologies.
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