CEO Donessa Arbas on how women in tech policy are shaping Asia’s digital future

AIBC Asia is the meeting place of tech and iGaming. Taking place at the end of May, the conference brings together frontier technology, Web3 and the iGaming industry for four days of networking and discussions.  

Read what Donessa Arbas had to say:

How do you think women leaders are shaping digital regulation and tech policy in the region?

I come into this space as someone who is deeply immersed in AI and digital transformation, but from an implementation and leadership perspective. 

I may not sit at the policy table full-time, but I work very closely with how these systems are applied on the ground: how AI is understood, adopted, and used by the leaders and entrepreneurs we consult, as well as the communities that we operate in. 

Across the Philippines and ASEAN, women leaders are shaping digital governance in two ways. 

At the policy level, we see more women advocating for ethical AI, data protection, and inclusive access. And that’s critical. 

But equally important is what’s happening at the ground level, where women are driving digital literacy, adoption, and responsible use of technology. 

Globally, women still hold only about a quarter of leadership roles in tech, but in many communities, women are the ones translating digital transformation into something practical and usable. 

So I see women shaping digital governance not just by writing policies, but by making those policies work in real life.

What challenges do they face and what support do they need?

One of the biggest challenges is the gap between technical capability and leadership positioning. 

There are many women who are capable, even highly skilled in AI and digital tools, but are not always positioned in spaces where decisions are made. 

At the same time, women represent only around 30% of the STEM workforce in ASEAN  and there are still gaps in access, confidence, and visibility.

From what I’ve seen, the need now is not just more training, but more strategic empowerment. 

Women need: advanced digital and AI literacy that is practical and applicable, leadership platforms where their voice influences direction, access to funding and systems that support women-led innovation, and spaces for collaboration across sectors, not competition. 

Because the issue is no longer just participation. It’s positioning women to lead and shape outcomes.

How can governments, the private sector, and women-led organisations work together more effectively?

From where I stand, collaboration becomes effective when it is intentional, interconnected, and intergenerational. Governments provide the framework and policy direction, the private sector brings innovation, tools, and scalability  and women-led organisations, like the ones I lead, ensure that these are translated into real-world application.  

This is where I see my role very clearly. 

I work at the intersection of leadership, digital literacy, and community impact. I may not be drafting policies, but I collaborate with and consult those who do. I also help ensure that what is created at the top is actually understood and implemented at the ground level. 

In the Philippine and ASEAN context, what works is: creating feedback loops between communities and policymakers, supporting women-led initiatives that are already driving digital adoption, and building ecosystems where leaders, technologists, and grassroots implementers are connected.

Because digital governance is only as effective as its ability to be applied.

In one sentence: what does “women-led digital governance” look like to you and how do we empower it?

Women-led digital governance, to me, is when women who understand both technology and people are actively shaping how digital systems are applied, adopted, and scaled, and we empower it by equipping women with AI and digital leadership skills, while creating platforms where they collaborate and influence across sectors. 

What I am building and what I strongly believe in, is this: 

We need more women who are not just digitally aware, but digitally fluent and strategically positioned. 

Women who understand AI, who can use it, who can teach it, who can lead with it, and ultimately who can scale with it. 

And just as important, women who are willing to collaborate, with policymakers, with technologists, and with other leaders to ensure that digital transformation is not just advanced, but inclusive and impactful. 

Because real influence in this space doesn’t come from working alone.
It comes from building ecosystems. 

Continuing the conversation at the AIBC Asia Roadshow