Infinix is Igniting #SHEPOWER in a fast-growing tech space

SHANGHAI,
CHINA – Media OutReach – 8 March 2021 – Research shows that
diverse teams perform better and are more innovative, often suggesting
promising results for business.^[1]
Despite so, the lingering issue of gender disparity between male and female
representation in the technology industry continues to
be a hot topic for many activists, government authorities, and public-alike^[2].

 

In line with this year’s International Women’s Day 2021 (IWD 2021)
theme #ChooseToChallenge, three superwomen from the fast-growing smartphone
brand Infinix looks to share their personal story in challenging biases and
misconceptions within the tech space through a #SHEPOWER video released by the
company. The video can be found at (https://youtu.be/3gRg8Ox7LZY).

 

The #SHEPOWER in Infinix

Founded in 2013, Infinix is a frontrunner in combining stylish design and
cutting-edge smartphone technology in their products. As a brand who aims to
connect with the youths via their product innovation, the brand is also not one
to shy away from burning social challenges — in this case, empowering women to
take a stance in some of the most challenging environment. This time it is
encouraging some of those women to share their stories.  The #SHEPOWER means lot of more meaningful to
Infinix than many other brands as the company seeks not only to foster the
technological and innovative development of some of the less-privileged
regions, it seeks to advocate social changes by promoting gender equality, as
much as we don’t want to admit, some parts of the worlds aren’t very friendly
to women who want to develop a career of their own.

 

Meet Shams Talaat, a 23-year-old marketer in Infinix, Iraq. Despite being in a
place that has the lowest female employment rates in the world^[3],
Shams has always been a fighter when it comes to gender equality. Last year,
she marched hand in hand with male and female protestors down the streets of
central Baghdad as one of the organisers of the gender equality rally which
made international headlines^[4].

 

“We want to feel heard, equal — and be
free to represent our own voices,” said the young girl who have just
graduated from Nahrain University, one of the top universities in
Iraq. “It’s uncommon for women to work in technology company here. Being part
of this industry, in Infinix, in particular, means a lot to me because I am
part of a vision that aims to provide great technology at an unbeatable price for my
country. At the moment, I’m the only female member in my office — but I believe
that things will change as we continue to promote a safe and inclusive working
environment for aspiring women who wants to take a stab at the tech industry in
Infinix,” continued Shams.

 

Another employee which shared her story comes from a
transcontinental country where it spans the northeast corner of Africa and
southwest corner of Asia — the Arab Republic of Egypt, a place which ranked 136
out of 145 countries worldwide in gender equality^[5].
Amani, the Head of Human Resources Department at Infinix, Egypt, has over 10
years of working experience under her belt. During her time with Infinix, Amani
has been invited to attend the biggest HR conference in the middle east HRSE
2019 HR Summit and Expo.

 

“In Egypt, women are under tremendous societal pressure to get
married and raise a child. Traditional Arabic culture sees us as weak and one
that needs protection — even getting out of the house alone is a trouble for
us. That’s why I take great pride in my work and what I’ve achieved so far,”
shared Amani when asked about her views on common difficulties faced by female
employees in their country. Despite the scrutiny, she was able to excel in her
performance: “It was very
challenging in the beginning because the brand was growing so fast that I
needed to establish a team and expand it by three times of its original size in
such a short period.  Regardless, we did
it in the end. Not only so, I also managed to finish my post graduate studies
in Human Resource and Law while working. It’s truly a blessing.”

 

While both Shams and Amani have demonstrated
their resilience in face of challenging adversities, the last sharer comes from
a place which represents a promising future for a highly progressive nation
that has committed to itself to promoting greater gender equality in its once
male-centric workforce — the People’s Republic of China.^[6]
Jessica a 25-year-old mobile structure design engineer at Infinix Shanghai is
turning heads with her talent in what seemed to be “a man’s job”.

 

With a childhood dream to be a fashion
designer, Jessica finds joy in putting her creativity and passion into every
aspect of Infinix mobile design: “It’s a dream come true in an unexpected way.
I’m really glad that fashion plays a critical role in Infinix’s product creation
— it gives me an opportunity to see my ideas come to life in an everyday
product like smartphones.” One of her greatest achievement includes a crossover
project with popular mobile game PUBG where her designs were featured heavily
on many prime advertisement spots.

 

Today, there are greater acceptance for women
in the workforce globally. Infinix has never stopped to take challenges on,
with a workforce of 42% women, it will continue to drive gender equality and
diversity. It is not the ratio that counts but the culture of fostering
diversity. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has also sped up the marathon for
women’s rights^[7] in
multiple aspects. That being said, companies — in this case, those in
technology sector — will still need to relook and improvise some of their
efforts in promoting gender equality in the workspace to ensure a sustainable
change.^[8]