Good tech forward

Connected Women’s flagship program, Elevate AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation), upskills women for work as data specialists in the AI industry. Launched at the height of the pandemic in partnership with United Nations Women, the pilot program was initially designed to include women whose household income was affected by the lockdowns. Women with limited access to economic opportunities, low-income, and marginalized sectors, such as single mothers, returning overseas Filipino workers, unemployed housewives, and persons with disabilities are the priority scholars of the program.

The courses are very comprehensive that they start from very simple topics like introduction to web tools and browsers to the vital data protection and data security. At the end of the training, participants are employable and ready to take on flexible and remote work. Jobs include data annotation which is data preparation needed to simpler applications like chatbots and spam detection to more complex usage such as self-driving cars, medical AI, or advanced robotics.

Women in the program can continue to hone their digital and technical skills as they have access to the monthly upskilling courses offered.

Since the launch of Elevate AIDA, Connected Women has been privileged to have meaningful collaborations with both local government units (LGUs) and private enterprises in providing sponsorships for AIDA trainees. This underscores the important role that partnerships have in driving digital inclusion programs.

As of January 2025, a major milestone has been reached as almost 2,000 women have graduated from the program from all over the Philippines armed with skills relevant to the AI industry. It is ensured that not only is the curriculum constantly updated to match the very fast developments in technology but also able to maximize the trainees’ experience during the program.

Isabela City, Basilan Province is the first and biggest LGU partner of Connected Women. Their mayor, Mayor Sitti Djalia “Dadah” A. Turabin-Hataman, has always been known for her progressive, pioneering, and inspiring leadership. Dadah wants to change the usual narrative, “it is high time for the Basilan ladies, who have been traditionally viewed as beneficiaries, to be active participants in the digital economy.”

And this program certainly does. The LGU continues to invest in its women as they prepare for the training of their sixth to commence in February 2025. The ladies from Basilan are beyond extraordinary as they go to great lengths to participate in the training. Since there are places that are geographically isolated and connectivity is sometimes a challenge, some scholars travel by boat every day to the city center to use the computer facilities at the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Tech4Ed Center.

Equally inspiring is the partnership with Aboitiz Foundation, launched in 2024 and demonstrates the shared belief that gender equality results in economic growth.

Elevate AIDA is viewed as more than a training program but a lifeline for women who cannot join the traditional workforce due to household responsibilities or economic difficulties. This partnership aims to uplift and empower 300,000 underskilled and disadvantaged women nationwide—with a broad impact beyond the women. The positive effect is extended to their families, their communities, and eventually, the country.

The DICT in partnership with the Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines released a Philippine Skills Framework for Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, which outlines the career and skills map for aspiring data analytics and AI professionals. The framework covers careers in highly technical areas such as business intelligence, data stewardship, data engineering, data science, applied data/AI research, and AI engineering.

It also emphasizes functional skills that can only be learned in a formal education environment. However, in the AIDA skills framework, most of these skills (critical thinking, effective communication, collaboration and teamwork, problem-solving) are already being taught to the women during the training, upskilling, and actual annotation jobs.

Invest in women—empowering women through upskilling in technology is not just about bridging the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but also about unlocking a vast, untapped resource for the digital economy.

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Agnes A. Gervacio is the CEO of social enterprise Connected Women and its services arm, Mettamatch. Her passion for tech and gender inclusivity has found a home in Connected Women. She is a trustee of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the chair of DEI Committee of the Management Association of the Philippines, and an active founding member of the Filipina CEO Circle. She counts her roles as mother, wife, and friend as most important. For any feedback, please reach out to her at agnes@connectedwomen.com

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Women Who Lead is an initiative of PhilWEN.