Not Just Dominated by Men, Careers in Technology Are Now More Open to Women

Discussion with women entitled "Cracking the STEM World: From First Steps to Finding Your Place". (Photo: Grab Indonesia)

JAKARTA - Learning and discussion spaces that support women to develop are now increasingly needed, especially in the midst of rapid technological developments.

Not a few young women actually have a great interest in a career in science and technology, but still feel less confident or have little access to a supportive environment to grow.

Therefore, the presence of communities, discussion forums, and experience sharing spaces are considered important to help women identify career opportunities in the field of technology while expanding professional networks early on.

Seeing the need, a forum entitled STEM Talks was held at Dia.Lo.Gue, Jakarta, on May 8, 2026.

This activity presents content creators and MIT alumni, Sabrina Anggraini, together with Principal Product Manager of Grab Indonesia, Gabriella Kawilarang, to share experiences about career journeys in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The event was attended by around 75 students with the theme "Cracking the STEM World: From First Steps to Finding Your Place". The discussion focuses on challenges, opportunities, and the importance of women's courage to take a role in the technology industry, which has been dominated by men.

The gap in women's participation in the workforce is still a challenge. Based on the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) report entitled Women and Men in Indonesia 2024, only 52.86 percent of working-age women work, while for men it reaches 79.85 percent.

The difference is even seen to be greater in the group of college graduates. The unemployment rate for highly educated women was recorded at 18.66 percent, while men were at 8.16 percent.

"We believe that technology is not only built through technical ability alone, but also through empathy, problem solving, and the courage to create real impact. Through STEM Talks, we want more young women to see that they have the same space and opportunity to grow and work in the field of technology,"

"We hope that the presence of Women Tech Leaders at Grab can become a role model and open up new insights for the younger generation of women," explained Grab Indonesia's Director of Digital & Sustainability, Rivana Mezaya.

In addition to the talkshow session, participants also attended a group discussion entitled "Ask Me Anything" with women working in the technology industry.

During the session, participants can discuss directly about the challenges of working in the STEM field, the working environment in the digital industry, to career development opportunities in various fields such as product management and software engineering.

Gabriella Kawilarang, Principal Product Manager Grab Indonesia, also shared her experience in facing challenges as a woman in the technology industry.

"Spaces for discussion like this are important so that the younger generation has a more tangible picture of the world of work in the digital sector," he said.

Discussions like this are not only considered to provide technical insights, but also help young women feel closer and relevant to the world of technology, which is often considered complicated or exclusive.

Through this activity, it is hoped that more young women will dare to explore their potential and see that the technology sector also opens up a wide space for women to develop, innovate, and build a positive impact on society.