Partner Spotlight - Connected Women

Unlock our impactful collaboration with Connected Women - driving global tech opportunities with flexibility and empowerment for women!

Today, we delve into the impactful partnership between ADI and Connected Women—an alliance driving remarkable strides for Filipino women, empowering them with enhanced work flexibility within the global tech landscape. Gina Romero, the Founder and Head of Special Projects at Connected Women, offers insights into the collaborative journey of ADI and Connected Women, reshaping the future for women in the Philippines.

1. ADI: Can you please introduce Connected Women and what inspired the creation of it? Has it evolved over the years?

Gina: Connected Women started as a passion project. It was founded in Singapore in 2013, with the vision of driving technology adoption among women in business and startups. It was clear then that technology was a game-changer for women allowing for flexibility and location independence. These are something that many women in my diverse network highlighted as essential to thriving in the world of work.

In 2016, I decided to refocus on empowering low-income women in the Philippines to find decent work opportunities online, without having to leave their families behind. We decided to launch Connected Women in the Philippines in 2017 - a company that leverages technology to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for Filipino women.

As a child of a migrant Filipina domestic worker, I grew up in the UK where my parents worked as a driver and a maid. I was one of the lucky ones living in the UK with my parents. Yet, I saw how many other Filipinos had no choice, but to leave their children behind in the Philippines when they left to work overseas. Decades later when I moved to Singapore, I saw this was still an issue for many Filipinos working as maids and nannies in the country. I also learned about the discrimination and abuse that many migrant women face in their host countries. I wanted to create a different reality for Filipino women – to give them a choice to stay with their families and still earn a decent living.

At Connected Women, we use technology as a tool to empower Filipino women and connect them with global job opportunities. We also want to give women - from underserved and less advantaged backgrounds - a chance to be part of the tech industry, which is often dominated by men.

Connected Women was initially founded as a community platform. We promote technology adoption by women professionals, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. We organized events, workshops, and networking sessions to inspire and educate women about the benefits of technology. We then created an online jobs platform to match Filipina freelancers with global businesses based on their preferences, aspirations, and motivations.

In 2020, we decided to pivot to focus on the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry. We realized that there is a huge demand for data preparation, annotation work, and other skills that are essential for the development of AI systems. A big part of our vision is to push for more diversity and representation of women in the AI sector. We want to bridge this gap and create a win-win situation for both businesses and women.

Connected Women partners with private sector companies - that need reliable and affordable data services, offering them a pool of trained and talented women who can work remotely from their homes. Additionally, tailored training courses were developed for women interested in learning new skills and joining the AI workforce. We provide them with mentorship, guidance, and support to help them succeed in their online careers.

Through our various programs at Connected Women and with the support of our partners, we have created a positive impact for thousands of women and their families. We have helped increase their income, improve their quality of life, and achieve their personal and professional goals.

As an Ethical Data and AI Services company that provides high-quality, socially responsible, outsourcing solutions for global businesses, we aim to contribute to building a safe and ethical AI industry by bringing more diversity and inclusion to the field. We have shown that women can be part of the tech revolution and that they can use their skills, talents, and unique perspectives to make a difference in the world.

2. ADI: How does Connected Women collaborate with businesses, or government agencies to achieve its goals and support the local women's communities?

Gina:  Connected Women collaborates with various businesses and government agencies to achieve its goals and support the local women's communities in the Philippines, for instance:

Sponsoring women for the Elevate AIDA Training Program

Not only does it offer a training program that teaches women the skills needed for data annotation, which is a key task for artificial intelligence and digital projects, but the program also provides mentorship, career guidance, and access to online work opportunities. We partner with businesses and government agencies to sponsor women, especially those in underserved and hard-to-reach areas and communities, to be part of this program. So far, around 300 women have been sponsored by the Aboitiz Group.

Connected Women has also partnered with the Aboitiz Foundation and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to train 300,000 women on skills for the AI industry.

Providing data services to businesses

We have  a pool of trained and talented women who can work remotely from their homes and provide high-quality data services to businesses. We partner with businesses that need quality data annotation, or preparation work, such as image labeling, text classification, sentiment analysis, data cleaning, data validation, and more. We have over 1,000 talented women from underserved sectors of society who are highly trained and skilled. We have collaborated with ScaleHub - a global provider of automated data extraction and document processing - and PLDT Global - a leading telecommunications company to power its AI engine.

Advocating for women’s empowerment and inclusion in tech

Connected Women also allies with government agencies and other organizations to advocate for women’s empowerment and inclusion in the tech industry. We participate in various initiatives and events, aiming to raise awareness and support for women’s participation and leadership in tech. For example, cooperation with the Department of ICT and being endorsed by TESDA and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) for its ICT upskilling of women.

3. ADI: Can you share how Connected Women and ADI started the partnership and how that has made a difference in the community?

Gina: Connected Women and Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) started their partnership in 2022 when working together on a database cleansing project for Therma Visayas, a power generation company under the Aboitiz Group. The project involved removing duplicate, outdated, and inaccurate data from the company’s database. We ensured that the data was consistent, complete, and reliable.

Our partnership has made a difference in the community by providing income and skills development opportunities for low-income women in the Philippines. The women who participated in the project were trained in data annotation - a skill in demand for artificial intelligence and digital tasks. They are able to practice what they learned from the Elevate AIDA program, gaining experience and confidence in performing such jobs. The women can either stay in Connected Women’s pool of data annotation specialists or look for work in other companies. 

4. ADI: Most recently, ADI’s AI-powered asset inspection system, which optimizes efficiency and accuracy in utility asset management, has won the Asian Technology Excellence Awards. In this project, ADI partnered with Connected Women to empower their Elevate AIDA graduates to do data handling and image annotation. Can you tell us more about this? 

Gina: The partnership continues to work on other projects, such as the AI Powered Asset Inspection System, which won the Philippines Technology Excellence Award for AI. The award recognizes the most innovative and outstanding technology products and solutions in Asia.
The system uses artificial intelligence to optimize efficiency and accuracy in utility asset management. The project also relies on the data handling and image annotation services provided by graduates of Connected Women’s Elevate AIDA program. It showcases the power of innovation and collaboration in propelling industries forward and empowering women through data and AI.

ADI was also recognized as a finalist in the 2023 AIBP Innovation Awards, which honors the most innovative and outstanding technology products and solutions in Asia. As part of the submission, Luis and Gratz highlighted ADI’s partnership with Connected Women, ensuring that Elevate AIDA program graduates are empowered to become active contributors in the AI industry.

5. ADI: What is your vision for Connected Women in the age of data and AI and how do you plan to continue the partnership with ADI? 

Gina: Connected Women has a vision of powering the inclusive workplace of the future by bringing women into tech at scale. We believe that data and AI are powerful tools enabling positive societal shifts and solving some of the world’s most pressing problems, including progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We also believe that women have a vital role to play in the data and AI industry. They deserve fair, ethical, and inclusive opportunities to participate and lead in this field.

We plan to continue our partnership with ADI, which has been a valuable ally in our mission of elevating the lives of Filipino women through socially responsible online work. We look forward to scaling up larger and longer-term projects that can provide more income and skills development opportunities for our women. We have trained 1,000 women to date in data annotation and other digital tasks, and we have a big job to do to generate projects and jobs for them. We want to showcase the importance of upskilling women for the future of work and closing the digital divide as AI and other emerging technologies reshape the landscape of work.

We are proud of the work that we have done with ADI, such as the award-winning AI-powered asset inspection system - which demonstrates the collaborative nature of humans and AI. We are excited to work on more projects that can leverage the talent and potential of our women, also to contribute to the growth and innovation of the AI industry. Together with ADI, we are confident to make a difference in the world and empower more women to be part of the future of work.

We expect other companies to be inspired by ADI’s commitment to diverse and ethical AI supply chains, and that they will follow suit by partnering with us.  By working together, we are confident to create more value and impact for our clients, our women, and our society. We invite other companies - sharing the same vision and values as ours - to join our journey of empowering women through data and AI.

About Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI)

Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) stands as a pioneering leader in the data science and AI landscape. We provide transformative AI consulting and data-driven IoT solutions, catering to a diverse range of sectors including banking & financial services, power, and smart cities. With numerous real-time data solutions across various industries, our network includes some of the world's most innovative companies and experts in data science and AI.

For the latest updates on inspiring collaborations and stories - much like the impactful partnership we've seen between ADI and Connected Women - stay connected with us on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking on the links below. Don't miss out on our upcoming interviews and collaborative ventures as we aim to continuously share compelling narratives within the tech industry.
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References

1. Zoya, K. (May, 2023). Keeping the heart where the home is. UN Women Asia and Pacific. https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/stories/feature-story/2023/05/keeping-the-heart-where-the-home-is
2. Debbie, Reyes-Coloma. (Mar, 2022). Gina Romero: Unchaining women. Weekly Sparks. https://www.weeklysparks.com/ws-people/gina-romero-unchaining-wome
3. Aboitiz Foundation. (2023). Aboitiz Foundation, Connected Women partner with DILG to upskill women in tech. https://aboitiz.com/aboitiz-foundation-connected-women-partner-with-dilg-to-upskill-women-in-tech
4. Department of the Interior and Local Government. (2023). DILG supports Aboitiz Foundation program to train 300k underskilled women on AI. https://dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-supports-Aboitiz-Foundation-program-to-train-300k-underskilled-women-on-AI/NC-2023-112
5. UnionBank. (2023). UnionBank partners with Connected Women to empower Filipino women through AI. Aboitiz Eyes. https://aboitizeyes.aboitiz.com/post/unionbank-partners-with-connected-women-to-empower-filipino-women-through-ai
6. ScaleHub. (2023). ScaleHub BPO Crowd Boost: Introducing Connected Women. https://scalehub.com/scalehub-bpo-crowd-boost-introducing-connected-women/
7. PLDT Global. (2023). Celebrating the connected women that power PLDT Global's AI engine. https://smart.com.ph/About/newsroom/full-news/2021/03/06/celebrating-the-connected-women-that-power-pldt-global-s-ai-engine
8. Philippine Commission on Women. (2023). PCW lauds DILG’s support for ICT upskilling of women by the Aboitiz Foundation and Connected Women. https://pcw.gov.ph/pcw-lauds-dilgs-support-for-ict-upskilling-of-women-by-the-aboitiz-foundation-and-connected-women/
9. Connected Women. (2023). Connected Women is a finalist for the Women in Tech Awards 2020. https://www.connectedwomen.co/connected-women-is-a-finalist-for-the-women-in-tech-awards-2020/
10. Aboitiz Data Innovation. (2023). Aboitiz Data Innovation clinches Asian Technology Excellence Award for revolutionary AI-powered asset inspection system. https://aboitizdatainnovation.com/press-releases/aboitiz-data-innovation-clinches-asian-technology-excellence-award-for-revolutionary-ai-powered-asset-inspection-system/