Cover SG Women in Tech chairperson Ong Chen Hui
SG Women in Tech chairperson Ong Chen Hui
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As the demand for tech talent grows, so does the need for inclusivity. Ong shares more about SG Women in Tech’s efforts towards empowering women in the industry and setting them up for success
Singapore has seen significant progress in recent years when it comes to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the workforce. Structural reforms, policy initiatives, and a cultural shift towards gender equity have reshaped professional trajectories, enabling more women to enter and thrive in fields that were once male‑dominated. A testament to this is Singapore’s ranking on the latest United Nations Gender Inequality Index released in March last year: eighth worldwide and first in the Asia‑Pacific region for having a low level of gender inequality.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Progress on Singapore Women’s Development 2024 report, more women have assumed leadership roles in the workplace, taking on 46.7 per cent of professional, managerial, executive and technician positions in 2023, up from 42.3 per cent in 2013. The same report also notes an increase in women’s representation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths, from 28.8 per cent in 2013 to 34.3 per cent in 2023. Beyond these statistics are personal stories that illustrate the realities of women in tech.
For Ong Chen Hui, chairperson of SG Women in Tech (SGWIT), an initiative by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), this progress is deeply personal. “I started my career conducting R&D in cybersecurity, where at one point, I was the only woman in a lab of 29,” she shares. “There are challenges that sometimes have nothing to do with our skill sets or technical know‑how. This has shaped how I work and how I lead.”
Now the assistant chief executive of the BizTech Group at IMDA, Ong is a driving force of the nation’s digital transformation. She has led initiatives such as the Future Communications Research and Development Programme to advance 6G research, the Digital Trust Centre to develop trust technologies, and the 5G Innovation Programme to accelerate industry adoption of next‑generation connectivity.
More recently, through her work on IMDA’s AI Verify toolkit and Project Moonshot, both aimed at strengthening artificial intelligence (AI) governance by upholding fairness and accountability in AI applications, Ong highlights the critical link between AI and diversity, advocating for systems that remain free from embedded bias. “This area of responsible AI is fundamentally interdisciplinary … We’re working towards a world where the AI models built represent us well, capturing our diversity in language and values.”
Ong began her career as a technical staff member at DSO National Laboratories, Singapore’s largest defence R&D organisation. Reflecting on how far the industry has come, she notes: “Compared to when I first started my career, women now [have] far greater access to opportunities.”
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Above Ong (pictured extreme right) with Josephine Teo (pictured centre), Singapore’s minister for Digital Development and Information, and Relaunch partners
Ong (pictured extreme right) with Josephine Teo (pictured centre), Singapore’s minister for Digital Development and Information, and Relaunch partners
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However, while more women are entering and progressing in the workforce, challenges persist, especially for those seeking to return after a career break. In tech, where advancements happen rapidly, returning can feel like starting from scratch. Women must not only refresh their knowledge, but also adapt to new tools, platforms and workflows—often without the guidance or resources needed to navigate these shifts. At the same time, women continue to bear a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities, which can create an uphill battle.
“Getting up to speed on tech, building the networks needed to identify suitable opportunities, beefing up resumes, finding alternative care arrangements … these can feel very daunting,” Ong posits. Without adequate support, many women re‑evaluate their career trajectories. “Sometimes, [they even] shift towards less demanding, non‑technical roles. And this will be a loss for our nation.” Understanding these barriers, SG Women in Tech, in conjunction with NTUC LearningHub, launched the Relaunch initiative to provide returning professionals with targeted resources, mentorship and job opportunities. By addressing the core pain points of reintegration, it provides structured support that empowers women to step back into the workforce with confidence.
One of its main objectives, according to Ong, is providing guidance in the first six months after women return. This includes coaching, mentorship and career placement support, so participants not only re‑enter the workforce, but also regain momentum in their careers. SGWIT, in partnership with NTUC LearningHub and 23 organisations, is bridging skills gaps and enhancing employability through training in high‑demand fields such as AI, coding and fintech, offered by industry leaders such as Accenture, Rakuten and Ant International.
The initiative also provides career coaching with experts from PwC, LinkedIn and Workforce Singapore to help returning women refine resumes and navigate job searches. Mentorship is a key pillar, giving returnees access to experienced professionals for industry insights and career guidance. Relaunch also connects women to meaningful employment through a dedicated jobs board, with companies such as Tata Consultancy Services and JPMorganChase supporting their reintegration into the workforce.
Beyond Relaunch, SGWIT has developed a range of initiatives aimed at nurturing, retaining and celebrating women in Singapore’s tech industry. But fostering diversity in tech goes beyond supporting those already in the labour force—it starts with inspiring young girls to see technology as a viable and exciting career path. Ong brings up a key finding in a report released last year by IMDA and Boston Consulting Group (BCG): that “early exposure to technology and parental influence are key factors in nurturing an interest and strong foundation in tech”. Recognising this, IMDA launched initiatives such as Code for Fun, AI for Fun and the Infocomm Media Clubs to engage students in technology from a young age. More recently, SGWIT introduced the Cross‑Polytechnic Girls in Tech Committee, designed to deepen tertiary female students’ interest in the field through talks, workshops, competitions and mentorship opportunities.
Above SG Women in Tech (SGWIT) celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2024.
SG Women in Tech (SGWIT) celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2024.
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Beyond institutional efforts, inclusivity is a deeply personal mission for Ong. “As a mother of a daughter and two sons, I dream of the day when my role in SGWIT [will be] irrelevant, and my children will have equitable opportunities. We’re not there yet, but we’re working towards that future,” she says. As SGWIT marked its five‑year milestone last year, Ong remains focused on the long‑term impact of its initiatives.
While there has been progress, she notes that the “IMDA‑BCG report shows that more can be done to retain women in the workforce and to create more opportunities for them to grow into senior leadership positions. This is where I’d like to see SGWIT evolving in the future”.
Ong shares that among the many women SGWIT has worked with, Kanchana Gupta, a breast cancer survivor who founded vLookUp.Ai, a free mentorship platform connecting women with successful leaders across different countries and one of SGWIT’s Relaunch partners, has left a deep impression on her. “Her story inspires me to view personal challenges as opportunities for growth, and to drive positive change in society and the tech industry,” she says. SGWIT’s Relaunch programme is only the beginning and Ong is resolute about the path forward. “We cannot do it alone,” she affirms. “This is a community effort.”
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Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
