Empowering Young Women in ICT: GCash’s Role in International Girls in ICT Day

#GCash  the leading finance app in the Philippines and the country’s largest cashless ecosystem, recently participated in the International Girls in ICT Day celebrations at Far Eastern University. The event was a joint initiative of the United Nations’ specialized agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).

The event was attended by female students from various universities, including Far Eastern University, De La Salle University, Philippine Women’s University, St. Scholastica’s College Manila, and the University of the Philippines. This year’s International Girls in ICT Day focused on the theme of “Leadership,” inspiring young women to bravely pursue careers in ICT and related STEM fields.

The theme of the event aligns with GCash’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, a crucial factor in promoting excellence in the workplace. GCash believes in the importance of women’s representation in the company, especially in tech and operations-related roles, to ensure that the solutions provided are relevant to women, who constitute 55% of GCash’s user base.

GCash’s Chief Data Officer, Sara Venturina, and Chief Risk Officer, Ingrid Berona, shared their experiences and insights on Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity, respectively, during mentorship sessions with the students.

Unlocking Opportunities through Data Analytics and AI

Venturina highlighted the significance of making a difference through data, and how GCash is rooted in this purpose. She explained that it is through ethical data usage and responsible AI that GCash can offer new financial products to all socioeconomic classes and sectors of society. Venturina emphasized that data helps GCash open up opportunities for other customers, particularly in terms of financial inclusion, an area the company is deeply passionate about.

Venturina cited GCash’s proprietary trust rating system, GScore, as an example of how data is utilized to offer more financially inclusive products. GScore enables GCash users to unlock services such as GCredit and GLoans, which are widely used by millions of users, most of whom are from the C2DE brackets. Loan-worthiness is not assessed through a traditional bank loan application but through data on GScore, thereby enhancing the Philippines’ efforts toward financial inclusion through digitalization.

Protecting Consumers by Upholding Trust and Security

Meanwhile, Berona began her mentorship session by sharing her career path, which has allowed her to experience various industries before identifying risk management as her chosen career. She revealed that GCash has seen exponential growth during the pandemic, with significant increases in the percentage of banked individuals, those with access to credit, Filipinos with investments, and those with access to insurance. To date, 94 million users have already tried using GCash, which makes cybersecurity a major concern.

Creating an Environment Where Women Can Thrive in ICT

Both Venturina and Berona also emphasized the various career opportunities for women in GCash, including internship opportunities for undergraduates, management development and cadetship programs for young professionals, and tech job openings for experienced professionals.

At GCash, more than 47% of the workforce is female, and there were 31% more women in the company’s tech-related teams in 2023. These women contribute to building innovative financial solutions to empower other women.

FAQs

1. What is GCash’s role in promoting women in ICT? GCash actively promotes women in ICT by participating in events like the International Girls in ICT Day. The company believes in the importance of women’s representation, especially in tech and operations-related roles.
2. How does GCash use data analytics and AI? GCash uses data analytics and AI to offer new financial products to all socioeconomic classes and sectors of society. The company’s proprietary trust rating system, GScore, is an example of how data is utilized to offer more financially inclusive products.
3. What measures does GCash take to ensure cybersecurity? GCash prioritizes trust and security. The company has various platform capabilities, conducts consumer education campaigns, and has strategic partnerships with the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, and Securities and Exchange Commission to keep its users safe and protected.
4. What opportunities does GCash offer for women? GCash offers various career opportunities for women, including internship opportunities for undergraduates, management development and cadetship programs for young professionals, and tech job openings for experienced professionals.