CODE; WITHOUT BARRIERS
Breaking barriers through developer diversity
With new technologies like AI impacting more people than ever, comes the need for technology to be more inclusive than ever. However, the tech industry still suffers from large gaps in gender and minority representation in its workforce, limiting the potential for more inclusive innovations.
How can Microsoft overcome tech’s diversity barriers in APAC’s fast-growing developer, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) communities?
As new innovations rush to fill the gaps created by the global pandemic, new technologies need to be as accessible to as many people as possible.
Showcasing the power of women in technology
To establish Microsoft’s message of the need for diversity in the developer communities and technology industry, we created Code; Without Barriers - an initiative to champion more female developers and create real opportunities for women to make more inclusive innovations. Featuring real women in tech, the campaign showcased their achievements through a series of events, podcast conversations, and inspiring success stories. And beyond just a message, we created a programme for real change, creating new paths for skilling and certification, and offering real opportunities from mentoring circles to skills challenges and hackathons leading to new employment opportunities.
"We see developers increasingly influencing every business process and function. This is why Code; Without Barriers was created. So every country can achieve their national digital agendas and have truly inclusive economic growth.”
— Andrea Della Mattea, President Asia Pacific, Microsoft
Partnering with 38 companies and 31 OSS communities in the tech world, Code; Without Barriers kicked off with a virtual launch event that drew 1.3 million viewers on Twitter and thousands of followers on YouTube. It brought together KOLs, female thought leaders and developers to share their real-life stories, inspiring more women to join the programme and more business leaders to champion inclusion in the tech industry.
Key campaign results
Launched across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the campaign got widespread earned media attention, with over 410 unique stories covered by top regional news outlets. As a result, Microsoft’s Share of Voice (SOV) in artificial intelligence increased by 40% while its overall brand SOV grew by 11%.
From an online event to real-world impact
Beyond just performance metrics, Code; Without Barriers has led to the piloting of 18 certification programs for Women in AI, providing training for 2,800 women and certification to 203 female developers while hosting cloud skills challenges for more than 7,600 developers.