Connected Women prepares Filipino women for the future of work by training them to be data labelers, virtual assistants, and more
With the Philippines bracing itself for the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), one social impact tech startup is making sure that Filipino women are prepared for the inevitable changes.
Philippines-based startup Connected Women creates opportunities for both skilled and underskilled women by training them to be data annotators, which are considered to be essential in any program that uses AI.
Labeling and categorizing images can earn data annotators around P500 per day, depending on their output. This initiative is one of two tracks with the other focused on helping women business owners during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
Founder Gina Romero said that the reputation of Filipinos for being hard working will help us stand out in this fast-growth market. Connected Women plans to train 200 women by the end of the year and 1,000 more by next year.
Data labeling as a promising new outsourcing market
With more and more companies around the world using AI for their operations, the reality is that these machines still need to “learn”. Foreseeing this new demand from tech giants who need the services of data labelers, they have expanded their programs to include training women to become adept data annotators. Connected Women are trying to reach smaller communities too, with the help of private sector partners and local government units.
During this pandemic, however, there is one uniting factor among these women – most of them were affected by the lockdown and sought other means of income during these trying times. Seventy members were selected to be part of the initial pilot training for “Elevate AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation)” where they were trained in basic data labeling skills such as image identification, classification, and categorization.
UN Women’s Ma. Rosalyn Mesina, WeEmpowerAsia Philippines Country Program Manager, said that she is very happy to support this project and provide more opportunities for Filipino women to access decent and fair jobs.
She is hopeful that the pilot training supported by UNW WeEmpowerAsia will encourage other partners and private sector groups to consider investing in such programs which can open pathways for more women towards financial and income security, enabling them to contribute to the socio-economic wellbeing of their families and communities.
With the strengthening of the country’s internet infrastructure presenting a growing opportunity for those in far-flung communities who benefit from online work the most, Connected Women also partnered with the likes of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Globe Telecom and Facebook, to provide access to the necessary training, tools, and connectivity to make their initiative a success.
According to Yoly Crisanto, Globe Sustainability Officer, and SVP for Corporate Communications, developing skills in digital technology becomes more important and those who can learn this will reap the benefits, especially because of the new normal.
“Globe is at the forefront of enabling digitalization as such we believe this initiative will help empower women by providing them with the necessary tools that can aid their training even while they are at home,” Crisanto said.
Flexible work as the future in the “new normal” landscape
One of the participants of the pilot test was Ida, a single mother, and a working student. Workers, on the other hand, can avoid the hassle of travel by working from home and have more flexibility to take care of household responsibilities.
Experts are saying that flexible work is the future of most industries in the “new normal” which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines is currently ranked as the 6th fastest-growing freelance market, with a 35% growth from 2019.
“Our members want to learn about the different types of remote work and what skills they can bring online,” Romero said.
As an advocate of technology and the opportunities that platforms like Connected Women create, Romero believes that technology can be empowering for women at all levels.
“Technology is a game-changer for women and providing access to remote and flexible work means having a choice between staying in the workforce or being forced to drop out.”
About Connected Women
Connected Women is a social impact tech startup, which offers technology skills development and remote work opportunities to women. We provide affordable talent for businesses globally while creating an impact on Filipino women and their families. We had been recognized in MIT’s Inclusive Innovation Challenge as an Asia Finalist (Bangkok, 2018), RSA Future Work Awards as a Finalist (UK, 2018), and WSIS (endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly) as a Champion for re-employment (Geneva, 2019). Our innovation is recognized to create meaningful progress towards achieving sustainable development goals, SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
About WeEmpowerAsia
WeEmpowerAsia is a joint programme of the European Union and UN Women aiming to increase more women who lead and participate in private-sector businesses in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, thereby advancing inclusive and sustainable growth along with stronger links between European and Asian markets through gender-sensitive trade and supply chains. The programme is strongly anchored in the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and contributes to seven United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDGs 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 17.
About UN Women
UN Women is the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, the organization was established in 2010 to accelerate progress on women’s rights worldwide. UN Women’s efforts are based on the fundamental belief that every woman has the right to live a life free from violence, poverty, and discrimination, and that gender equality is a prerequisite to achieving global development.
About the European Union
The European Union is made up of 27 member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms.
