Asia needs more women in tech

We must also get better at illustrating how technology is about creativity and the potential to make an impact on the world. Technology helps people get things done faster and better. It enables consumers and empowers business owners. These are messages that appeal to women. I know this is what got me interested in tech.

When I decided to study computer science, friends and family wondered why I would want to fix machines in a lonely back office. What they didn’t realize is that computer science is about design, understanding human-computer interaction and applying computers in other fields such as healthcare or environmental science.

Far from sitting alone in a room, my typical day at Google involves collaborating with colleagues across multiple time zones. Google Maps on Mobile, the product I work on, is used by millions of people, including my friends and family. Their love for the product makes me feel proud of what I do, and motivates me to find ways to make it better and easier for people to find their way around the world.

Across Asia, Google has embarked on putting programs and partnerships in place to help tell the amazing story of technology to girls and women. It offers scholarships and grants to organizations from Japan to Australia to enable more women to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It has also started inviting schoolgirls and their teachers to its staffs' offices to hear directly from their employees to explain what it really means to work in tech and how they are able to make a difference.

The company has also got them excited about coding and to guide them consider coding as a way of improving lives through real world applications.

The importance of having more female tech creators is very easy to see. Diversity in all its forms leads to better ideas and outcomes. As more women shape and create technology, its relevance and usefulness grows for many more users.

I hope more girls will join me in the field of computer science, and become tech makers of the future. Participating in the creation of software, mobile applications and web services that change the way we do things is exciting. Giving girls the encouragement and support that they need to build a career in computer science will help empower more women tech creators to make an impact where it's needed most.

The author is an employee of Google.

The views do not necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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