A SUSTAINABLE and inclusive tech industry requires active participation from those who are well trained and knowledgeable in this profession, including women.
However, women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers.Globally, women make up 31 per cent of research and development positions in science, with the lowest proportions in Southwest Asia (24 per cent) and East Asia and the Pacific (27 per cent).
To create an environment where women realise their full potential and feel supported, empowered and inspired to push boundaries, the Code; Without Barriers Hackathon 2023, a programme to foster diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, sponsored by Microsoft, was organised and concluded on June 8, 2023.
In this event organised by iTrain Asia Pte Ltd (Singapore) and supported by Girls in Tech Inc, two female students from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) showcased their exceptional skills and dedication to their craft in addressing problem statements and were ultimately selected as winners. They demonstrated their strengths in contributing to and thriving in the tech ecosystem.
Sangeeta Yadav, a Master's student in Data Science and Business Analytics, and Devina Wiyani, a final-year BSc (Hons) in Computer Science student with a specialisation in data analytics at APU, were announced as the hackathon winners among 770 female participants from 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
Out of 72 impressive submissions addressing problem statements, Sangeeta and Devina not only stood out but also emerged as the sole winners for the problem statements, solving real-world challenges.
The inventions
Sangeeta worked on a problem statement given by the company HCLTech, which required her to predict whether there would be an influenza outbreak in each region by using the Twitter Dataset or the Influenza Surveillance Dataset.
Devina, meanwhile, solved a problem statement from Carsome that required participants to develop a pricing algorithm that accurately predicted the selling price range of a car based on auction data, brand and mileage.
"Developing the time series model for influenza outbreak prediction was crucial for accurate and timely information to help public health officials, medical professionals and individuals prepare and respond effectively to influenza outbreaks.
"By forecasting influenza outbreaks in advance, we can better allocate resources, implement preventive measures and minimise the impact on public health," said Sangeeta, who aims to become a data scientist.
"The entire hackathon process was amazing. I would encourage all women out there to come out and leverage such platforms and showcase their potential."
In the rigorous competition that lasted 1½ months, Devina developed a regression model with a 93 per cent accuracy rate and earned applause from a Carsome representative for her extra steps in deploying the model by creating a mini system for users to interact with it.
"This is one of the first capstone projects I have done. It is quite challenging to learn most things from scratch, despite knowing the concept of data mining itself.
"I referred to quite a few Kaggle and GitHub notebooks and codes, and learned how other people approach their projects. I have also learnt and applied much new knowledge, especially for Python," said Devina, who has since been offered an internship at Carsome.
"The experience not only taught me a lot, but also boosted my confidence and motivation to keep learning and enriching my portfolio with even bigger and better projects.".
Devina has participated in several events held by Girls in Tech Inc, where she "met many amazing women".
Encouraging others
Being aspiring women in tech, both Sangeeta and Devina encouraged their counterparts.
"Woman, just give your talent a push. You are never late to start. Just do it," said Sangeeta.
Devina adds, "Just continue to prove ourselves regardless of identity. Despite any difficulties, keep thriving."
The Code; Without Barriers Hackathon 2023 provided a valuable platform for women in tech to showcase their skill and talent, and Sangeeta and Devina's triumphs are a testament to the immense potential that women possess in the tech industry.
Their achievements not only demonstrate their technical prowess but also serve as an inspiration for other women in the field.
Apply Lazada Promo Code to receive special rebates on smart devices.