Female trailblazers in technology, engineering, astrophysics and biopharma from across Asia share their journeys in STEM, challenge myths and misconceptions about the field and offer their advice to the next generation
Recent economic volatility has resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of women in leadership positions according to a report launched earlier this year by LinkedIn and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The 2023 WEF Global Gender Gap Report found that recent labour-market shocks are disproportionately affecting women and reversing years of progress made by women in the workforce. STEM roles are some of the fastest-growing and most in-demand, meaning that having women in such roles makes them more resilient to these types of economic pressures. Yet, while LinkedIn data shows that there is no shortage of women graduating with STEM degrees, they aren’t always staying in the STEM workforce. Globally, as of 2023 just 28 percent of women make up the global STEM workforce according to MIT.
"This drop off in female participation happens mostly between graduation and entry into the industry, and unfortunately, continues as women strive to reach leadership positions," says Feon Ang, managing director APAC at LinkedIn. "These findings suggest a critical factor at play: the lack of female role models in the field, which may contribute to discouraging young women from pursuing careers in STEM after they graduate,"
In Singapore, United Women Singapore (UWS), a non-profit organisation that advances women's empowerment and gender equality, also unveiled a study earlier this year that spotlighted the three main barriers to promoting STEM among young women: intergenerational personal experience as a subconscious barrier; a lack of exposure to STEM careers and female representation; and misconceptions of the true nature of jobs in this field.
We spoke to four leading female figures working in STEM fields across Asia to explore these findings further as they shared their personal journeys from early STEM exposure to the heroes and role models who inspired them along the way, as well as the myths they wish to challenge, the advice they have for the next generation, and the potential of STEM careers for personal fulfilment as well as positive societal impact.
Donna Bridgman, VP, Design & Engineering APAC, Vantage Data Centers
Tell us about your STEM journey
I naturally gravitated to tri-sci [biology, chemistry and physics] at school and ended up loving the challenge and complexity of calculus, so medicine or engineering were always likely career paths. My father was a source of encouragement, although I never worked this out until much later. He was always on the tools as both a carpenter and motor mechanic who had me out helping him every week on a new project, and I grew up with a natural curiosity around engineering, science and problem solving.
What made you want to pursue a career in the engineering industry?
As an electrical engineer I embarked on my overseas experience during the dot-com boom. With an open mind and can-do approach, I was offered roles in companies where I was exposed to technically complex projects with larger remits of responsibility than I ever anticipated. I had the support of some amazing colleagues who trained me and backed my enthusiasm for the fast-paced data centre sector, where technological change occurred very rapidly over a short span of time. I loved the steep learning curve and the opportunity to soak up the engineering complexities, their challenges, and engage with clients and end-users around technology development.
Have you always been in the minority and what have been the challenges and/or opportunities of being a woman in your field?
I was one of three women studying engineering in a class of 100, and while the gender balance has improved a little in some fields of engineering, the needle has really not moved significantly. I have experienced a number of scenarios of gender bias and deliberate under-payment for some roles performed (gender pay gap) along the way, but I have always been a person with strong personal resilience and grit. Ensuring I had strategies to stand up to challenge poor behaviour and deal with issues head on is something I am proud of.