FEW FEMALE EMPLOYEES
Female workers only make up about a quarter of the workforce in the technology industry, noted MediaTek Foundation executive secretary Cynthia Feng.
In the semiconductor industry and other related sectors such as electrical engineering and electronic information, female graduates account for an even smaller proportion – 13 to 15 per cent, she added.
Based on research papers she has published, stereotypes may have hampered females from pursuing careers in the tech industry, she told CNA.
“Girls seem to lose interest in math and technology between the ages of 10 and 14 because of the perception of their roles in the society or lack of confidence in their own abilities,” she said.
Currently, MediaTek’s female employees account for 20 per cent of its total workforce – a proportion it is looking to increase in a bid to boost innovation.
“Adding women’s perspectives would help to find a more innovative and comprehensive solution to a problem,” she said.
It also hopes to recruit more females to fill the job gaps, as the tech industry struggles with talent shortage due to a shrinking birth rate and competition with international tech giants. Based on a recent survey conducted by a local job bank, more than 50 per cent of Taiwan’s tech companies are hiring.
Currently, there are more than 100,000 job openings just for engineers.
