Hard to believe, but study says women in SG are trailing behind in digital marketing

Female employees in Singapore are trailing behind the region’s average in terms of familiarity with digital marketing. According to a study by She Loves Data (SLD), a global not-for profit organisation a Milieu Insight, around 87% of women in Southeast Asia are interested in taking courses to develop their professional skills, and three in 10 women in Southeast Asia are interested in learning about artificial intelligence (AI), data and analytics.

According to a Milieu Insight representative, the reason for this could lie beyond just digital marketing. Rather, it could lie in the fact that women in Singapore are already largely underrepresented in tech-related industries. 

In a 2020 study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global consulting firm, it was found that Singapore and Vietnam have the lowest share of women with technology majors in the region, yet both have higher shares of women working in technology, with Singapore among the highest of the six countries studied, at 41%.

"This lack of female representation could be a barrier in itself, where women are probably less exposed to role models or mentors in this field, and hence less likely to see themselves in tech roles," explained the Milieu Insight representative. "While many women work in marketing roles, the lower skew among Singapore women in terms of familiarity with digital marketing is a new insight that highlights the importance to support women in keeping pace with digital transformation, as well as the opportunities to nurture more female talents in the digital and tech industries.''

"The reason why women are underrepresented in digital marketing in Singapore is complex, and there are many factors that could contribute to it," said Prema Techinamurthi, the managing director of Dentsu Creative Singapore. These factors could include things such as gender biases, stereotypes, work-life balance challenges, limited access to education and training, and unequal pay.

While it's true that lack of opportunities could be a factor in this underrepresentation, it's not the only factor as mentioned above.

"To help promote gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace, employers can offer equal opportunities for training, education, and advancement, and work to address any unconscious biases or discriminatory practices in recruitment and promotion processes," she explained. She added that women looking to get ahead in digital marketing could adopt a few strategies such as building a strong professional network, seeking mentorship, investing in education and training, developing a personal brand and pursuing leadership opportunities.

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Adding to the conversation Greenpark’s new APAC managing director Fe Husaint said that having been in the digital marketing industry for some time, she was surprised by the study but one way to start promoting more talent into the space is by creating a safe environment where women are given opportunities to lead, speak up, and take risks.

“This supportive and safe environment has helped us build confidence and take up space in our industry. There will be more women in digital careers when we create more opportunities for them. We can create a supportive environment for women by being open to our ideas. Keeping equity in mind and providing flexibility for women to nurture a family while staying in their careers does wonders in building trust,” she added.

Meanwhile, companies must also provide places for women to shore up their knowledge and increase their opportunities will also do wonders in improving our presence in digital marketing.

“Organisations and companies can partner with digital schools so their workforce can choose to upskill without sacrificing their time at work.  MAD School gave me the opportunity to share my own experiences and challenges I had to overcome being a woman in the digital and marketing world. Ideas like this can spur interest in women in the industry. We can soon see a boom in women's statements in the digital marketing space,” she said.

Career shifts?

In addition to the lack of women in tech roles, the survey also revealed that 44% of employees in Southeast Asia and 57% in Indonesia plan to make a career switch in the next five years.

Entrepreneurship motivations were the biggest factor in wanting to make a career switch and was strongest among women aged 35 years and above in Thailand (48%) and the Philippines (43%) where almost half sought to upskill as they had plans to set up their own business. 

This data is key particularly as recent United Nations data shows that the world is critically off track to reach gender equality by 2030.

“Despite progress in reforming laws, closing gaps in legal protections and removing discriminatory laws, [equality] could take up to 286 years based on the current rate of change,” the UN wrote in its 2022 Progress on Sustainable Development goals study. It added that COVID-19 as well as the backlash against women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are further diminishing the outlook for gender equality. Furthermore, women’s representation in positions of power and decision-making remains below parity.

SLD plans to address this gender gap by creating more equal opportunities for women in their career developments. “As businesses across all industries embrace digital transformation, corporations and employers struggle to fill roles across all digital skills domains. We hope to narrow the digital competence gap,” said Jana Marle-Zizkova, the co-founder and volunteering CEO at SLD.

“In the long run, SLD aims to provide a supportive professional network to develop a solid pipeline of women leaders who are ready to enter the C-suites and board rooms. In response to the global talent shortage crisis and under-representation of women in many industries, we hope both the private and public sector can take an active role in supporting communities such as She Loves Data as we seek to future-proof the workforce by training tech, digital and analytics skills," said Marle-Zizkova.

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