April 5, 2025 – Manila – In celebration of Women’s Month, AWS Cloud Club - Adamson University hosted FalCat in Her BuildHer’s Era, their first event dedicated to empowering women in tech and addressing the industry's ongoing gender gap. With support from AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines, AWS Cloud Clubs from Archer’s, PUP, and Haribon, and sponsors KakaComputer and Tutorials Dojo, the event combined inspiring speaker sessions and an innovative ideathon to foster dialogue, drive solutions, and build a stronger, more inclusive tech community.
In today's tech industry, where gender diversity remains a challenge, creating supportive communities and visible pathways for success has never been more important.
Speaker Insights: Voices from the Field
The first speaker of the day was Uriel Alonso, Cloud Applications Specialist at Apper Cloud Labs and Community Leader of AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines. Uriel focused on the critical role of representation in the tech industry, especially in the technology field that remains predominantly male. She emphasized how visibility, inclusivity, and access to opportunities can encourage women and gender-diverse individuals to pursue technology careers.
Following was Maxine Ileto, IT Manager and Data Engineer at Procter & Gamble, who shared her personal tech journey. Maxine took the audience through her early internships and the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Her honest stories about navigating microaggressions and impostor syndrome while building technical expertise resonated with many attendees.
The speaker session concluded with insights from Enrica Dio, researcher, scholar, and Captain of AWS Archer's Cloud Club. She shared her journey through hackathons and provided practical tips for those interested in participating in similar events. Her advice on team formation, rapid prototyping, and effective pitching prepared everyone for the afternoon challenge.
The Current State: Understanding the Representation Gap
Despite decades of progress, technology remains one of the most gender-imbalanced professional fields. Recent industry data shows women hold less than 25% of technical roles in major tech companies, with even lower representation in leadership positions. For women of color and those from other underrepresented groups, these numbers drop even further.
This disparity isn't just a matter of statistics—it represents missed opportunities for innovation, problem-solving, and comprehensive product development that serve diverse user bases.
Why Representation Matters: Beyond Numbers
Representation in tech isn't simply about achieving balanced percentages; it's about creating an industry that benefits from the full spectrum of human talent and perspective. When technology is developed by diverse teams, it better serves diverse users.
Representation is crucial in the tech industry for several reasons:
- Inspiration and Motivation: Seeing individuals who look like you in positions of power sends a powerful message that YOU TOO can achieve success. This inspires people to pursue careers in tech and motivates them to push beyond perceived limits.
- Validation and Belonging: Representation validates identities and creates a sense of belonging. It helps individuals feel accepted and valued in their workplaces.
- Safety and Inclusion: Adequate representation ensures that diverse voices are heard and valued, creating safer spaces where everyone feels they belong.
- Innovation and Business Success: Diverse representation brings unique perspectives, enhancing innovation and problem-solving.
- Unlocking Potential: Representation unlocks human potential by revealing undiscovered talent and encouraging people to pursue opportunities they might otherwise feel are out of reach.
Addressing the Representation Gap
The challenge of increasing women's representation in technology requires multi-faceted solutions operating at different levels of the ecosystem. As I've discussed during my talk, here are some effective ways to bridge this gap:
Mentorship & Allyship
- Strong mentors provide guidance, confidence-building, and valuable network connections
- Effective allies amplify women's voices and actively challenge workplace biases
Tech Education & Upskilling
- Targeted programs like scholarships and women-focused tech communities break down educational barriers
- Hands-on training opportunities and certification pathways create accessible entry points
Inclusive Workplace Culture
- Family-friendly policies, including flexible work arrangements support retention
- Unbiased hiring practices and transparent promotion structures ensure fair advancement
- Zero-tolerance policies for discrimination create psychological safety
Innovation in Action: The Ideathon
The second half of the event transformed attendees from listeners to creators through an ideathon centered on the theme: "Bridging the Gender Gap: Internships as Gateways to Equality." Six diverse teams had two hours to develop and pitch tech-based solutions addressing gender disparities in early career opportunities.
Judges evaluated entries based on innovation, feasibility, scalability, and potential impact on gender equity. The competitive yet collaborative atmosphere showed how technical skills can be channeled toward solving meaningful social challenges.
Building Lasting Change
Through events like FalCat in Her BuildHer's Era, the conversation moves beyond acknowledging the problem to implementing solutions. The AWS Cloud Club - Adamson University demonstrated how student-led organizations can play a powerful role in addressing industry-wide challenges through intentional community building.
Initiatives like this coming from students themselves represent a profound shift in the landscape of tech inclusion. When young people take ownership of creating the diverse industry they want to enter, it signals a generational commitment to change that extends far beyond temporary programs or corporate policies. These student leaders aren't just participating in the conversation—they're reshaping it! Bringing fresh perspectives and urgency to issues that have persisted for too long.
About the Author
Uriel Alonso is a Cloud Applications Specialist at Apper Cloud Labs and a key member of the Professional Services Engineering team that delivers innovative cloud solutions. Passionate about increasing representation in tech, Uriel serves as the Community Leader of AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines, where she works to create inclusive spaces and opportunities for women and gender-diverse individuals in the technology industry.
Beyond her professional and advocacy work, she actively fosters a supportive and inclusive tech community, creating environments where individuals feel not only welcomed but truly empowered, valued, and inspired to grow their careers in technology.
Top comments (2)
I really enjoyed reading your article🙃. I believe that while there are now more programs, scholarships, and even companies beginning to adopt inclusive policies, there's still a long way to go.
In my view, one of the key aspects to focus on is motivation and mentoring. Many women face impostor syndrome, and having others who have gone through similar experiences can make a big difference.
This is a wonderful initiative ♥️, and I truly hope you can continue building on it to help close the gender gap in your region.
Thank you for sharing and for your inspiring work🥰!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my article and share your thoughts! 🥰 I completely agree — although we’re seeing more inclusive programs, scholarships, and policy shifts, we still have a long journey ahead in achieving true equity in tech. Systemic change takes time, and it's through continuous effort and collaboration that we’ll be able to bridge the gap.
I also love what you said about motivation and mentoring! Having role models and a support system of people who’ve faced similar struggles can offer not just guidance but a sense of belonging and confidence to keep going.
I'm committed to doing my part, step by step! To create spaces where more women feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive in tech. Let’s keep pushing forward together! 👩🏻💻