This International Women’s Day, Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia, has issued a compelling call to action, emphasizing the urgency of “Accelerate Action” in achieving gender parity, particularly within the technology sector.

Siow’s commentary, released through Eastwest PR, reflects on the 2024 International Women’s Day theme, which she interprets as a mandate for immediate and proactive steps toward gender equity. As a 30-year veteran in the tech industry, she draws parallels between the necessity for rapid business innovation and the need for accelerated progress in gender equality, encapsulated in her mantra, “Accelerate to Innovate.”

Acknowledging the gradual nature of societal change, Siow underscores the cumulative impact of consistent, incremental actions. She highlights her experience in Southeast Asia, where she has witnessed the transformative power of equipping women with essential skills, resources, and support.

At SAP Southeast Asia, Siow points to tangible progress, with nearly 50% of the workforce being female and 43.3% of leadership roles held by women. By January 2025, 50% of the country managing directors in Southeast Asia will be women, and she has set a goal to achieve 50% of women in all leadership roles, reinforcing the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. These figures, she argues, demonstrate the potential when diversity is prioritized beyond mere rhetoric.

Despite these advancements, Siow acknowledges the persistent barriers that hinder progress. Systemic biases, unequal access to leadership opportunities, and ingrained stereotypes continue to impede gender parity. Citing the World Economic Forum’s estimate that full gender parity is still 134 years away, she stresses the unacceptable nature of this timeline.

To accelerate progress, Siow proposes three critical actions:

  • Sponsorship over mentorship: Advocating for leaders to actively champion women’s careers and create opportunities, rather than simply providing guidance.
  • Equal access to leadership tracks: Ensuring that women at all levels have access to high-impact projects and decision-making roles to build a strong leadership pipeline.
  • A redefinition of leadership: Recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives, emotional intelligence, and inclusivity as essential leadership traits, rather than solely focusing on traditional, often masculine, characteristics.

Siow concludes by emphasizing that innovation and equity are driven by action, not passivity. She calls for a challenge to existing norms and an acceleration of change, asserting that diversity leads to better decisions, stronger businesses, and more resilient economies. The focus, she argues, should shift from questioning the need for action to maximizing the speed of change.