SINGAPORE –\u00a0Media
\u00a0<\/p>\n The program
\u00a0<\/p>\n “The balance
\u00a0<\/p>\n The partners in
\u00a0<\/p>\n These organizations operate in the areas of education, energy, financial services, public
\u00a0<\/p>\n Microsoft will
\u00a0<\/p>\n Code; Without Barriers<\/i> works with more than 21 developer communities
\u00a0<\/p>\n “We
\u00a0<\/p>\n Code; Without Barriers<\/i> has piloted 18 Women in AI<\/i> certification programs across eight APAC markets,
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Gender-diverse teams are smarter and more productive,” said
\u00a0<\/p>\n “It is an
\u00a0<\/p>\n “We can’t do this
\u00a0<\/p>\n Sustaining diversity by advocating for
Microsoft’s Code; Without Barriers<\/i> team is taking
\u00a0<\/p>\n “Communities look
\u00a0<\/p>\n Learn more
\nOutReach<\/a>\u00a0– 23 September 2021 –\u00a0Microsoft and 13 companies across nine Asia
\nPacific countries today launched Code;
\nWithout Barriers <\/i>to help close the <\/i>gender
\ngap in the region’s fast-growing cloud, artificial intelligence (AI)
\nand digital technology sectors.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/images.media-outreach.com\/Thumb\/520x0\/179193\/CWB-banner.jpg#image-179193\")
<\/p>\n
\nprovides a platform to enable female developers, coders, and other technical
\ntalent to contribute towards inclusive economic growth, encourage innovation
\nand better reflect the societal makeup of their region.<\/p>\n
\nbetween consumption and creation is changing. We see developers increasingly
\ninfluencing every business process and function. Which is why Code; Without Barriers<\/i> was created. We
\nidentified an urgent need to increase the diversity of cloud, AI and technical
\ntalent in APAC, so every country can achieve their national digital agendas and
\nhave truly inclusive economic growth,” said Andrea
\nDella Mattea, President for Microsoft in Asia Pacific.<\/p>\n
\nthe program include Accenture, AvePoint, Government Big Data
\nInstitute\u00a0(GBDi), HCL Technologies, Just Analytics, MetLife, NTT Ltd, PALO
\nIT, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), Simbiotik Technologies, Thoughtworks,
\nUniversiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn
\nMalaysia (UTHM).<\/p>\n
\nsector and technology in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand,
\nPhilippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.<\/p>\n
\nprovide skilling and certification in cloud and AI to increase the technical
\ntalent pools in the countries. Each of the 13 companies is committed to improving
\ndiversity within their organizations and offers career opportunities to female
\ncreators and developers. Equally, through a series of engagements, from career
\nfairs to hackathons to mentorship and support from business leaders, Code; Without Barriers<\/i> will nurture and
\ndevelop female entrepreneurs in APAC. <\/p>\n
\nacross APAC, reaching more than 407,000 developers across data, AI, DevOps,
\nJava, JavaScript and Python and Women in Tech. <\/p>\n
\nidentified an urgent need in our region to increase the diversity of technical
\ntalent, as only 26% of professionals
\nin data and AI are women and this drops to 12% for professionals in cloud
\ncomputing<\/a>. For this to change, and for APAC
\nmarkets to have a truly inclusive national digital agenda, it starts with
\nbreaking barriers and empowering developer diversity in our organizations and
\nindustries. It’s our responsibility as leaders of this community to shape what
\ncomes next; to show what’s possible when our
\ndigital worlds reflect the diversity of the society we live in,” Ms Della
\nMattea said.<\/p>\n
\ntraining more than 480 women, and certifying 203 developers. Microsoft also
\nhosted cloud skills challenges for more than 7,617 developers.<\/p>\n
\nGina Smith, PhD, IDC’s lead analyst for DevOps and digital innovation in the
\nAsia\/Pacific region. “Hiring women in technology roles adds far more than
\na fresh perspective. Recent studies quantifiably demonstrate that
\ngender-diverse enterprises demonstrably more innovation and higher returns than
\nthe mean overall. <\/span>Programs like Microsoft’s Code;
\nWithout Barriers<\/i> go a long way toward bridging that critical gap.”<\/p>\n
\nestablished fact that having more women in the tech industry benefits companies
\nand societies. But creating the conditions for a more diverse workforce is a
\ncomplex challenge – no single organization can do this alone. We have a shared
\nresponsibility to simultaneously remove barriers and uplift women, and I’m
\nthrilled to see companies and organizations collaborate through Code; Without
\nBarriers,” said Leanne Robers, Co-founder and Co-CEO, She Loves Tech. <\/p>\n
\nin isolation and are thankful that organizations across industry sectors have
\njoined us in APAC,” shared Annie Mathew, Director, Developer Relations and
\nProgram Lead for Code; Without Barriers<\/i>
\nat Microsoft in APAC.<\/p>\n
\nresponsible AI<\/b><\/p>\n
\nthis further, with an upcoming community playbook that tackles how to handle
\nbias and how to sustain diversity in emerging tech.<\/p>\n
\nto Microsoft to address and share the best practices in Responsible AI, so that
\nthey can build in diversity, reduce bias, and ensure transparency in the work
\nthat they do. We are empowering a new generation of women in technology through
\nCode; Without Barriers<\/i>,” concluded Ms
\nMathew.<\/p>\n
\nabout Code; Without Barriers: <\/b>Listen to our Podcast
\nseries on Spotify<\/a>, watch the YouTube
\nplaylist<\/a>, and read more at https:\/\/aka.ms\/codewithoutbarriers<\/a><\/p>\n