Giving, gaining, and building a more equitable community

Dear reader,

As you read this, we here at Tech in Asia have just wrapped up our annual International Women’s Day (IWD) campaign.

This is the sixth year that we’ve done this campaign, and for 2026, we decided to look inwards – literally. This year, our campaign focused on our own team members, putting them in the spotlight and giving our readers the opportunity to learn more about the people powering Tech in Asia.

#teamTIA / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Why did we choose to do this? Well, it’s a bit of a long story.

In her note marking this year’s IWD, our COO Maria Li writes that women already give a lot – what’s important is for them to start giving more wisely.

This idea of giving more wisely has been on my mind for a while. It’s been a hard year for the company, and we genuinely debated whether or not to do an IWD campaign this year, given ongoing challenges with resources and strategic pivots.

For me personally, the lead-up to the campaign coincided with significant changes in my personal and professional life, and I had to consider if taking this on, during this time, would be the wise choice for my own productivity and well-being.

Image by Chae Huah Lim

Ultimately, I – and the team – decided that an IWD campaign, whatever form it may take, was worth doing. After all, the fight for true equity and equality never ends, and in a time where many companies are focused on their bottom lines, it’s even more important to continue advocating for the very humans that make things possible.

To that end, what would be a meaningful and valuable way to mark this occasion? I decided that, considering the year Tech in Asia has had, we should celebrate the folks that make the company what it is. Without the women on our team, we would not be where we are today, and it’s so important to acknowledge the role they play in powering the company’s growth.

Additionally, the theme for International Women’s Day this year is “Give to Gain.” I’m hoping that by having our team members “give” through sharing their stories, the rest of us at Tech in Asia – and indeed the rest of our community – will be able to gain something, whether it’s fresh insight into tackling a challenge at work or a better appreciation of what it takes to build AI-led products.

I hope as well that the women we featured – whether through in-depth interviews on our website or on our social media posts – gain something from this experience. New opportunities, new connections, or maybe even just a new appreciation for themselves and what they’ve achieved.