Gender equality in information access

As GenAI becomes more ubiquitous, research alarmingly shows that women are using these tools at lower rates than men across nearly all regions, sectors, and occupations.   A recent paper from researchers at Harvard Business School, Berkeley, and Stanford synthesizes data from 18 studies covering more than 140k individuals worldwide.   Their findings:   • Women are approximately 22% less likely than men to use GenAI tools • Even when controlling for occupation, age, field of study, and location, the gender gap remains • Web traffic analysis shows women represent only 42% of ChatGPT users and 31% of Claude users   Factors Contributing the to Gap:   - Lack of AI Literacy: Multiple studies showed women reporting significantly lower familiarity with and knowledge about generative AI tools as the largest gender gap driver. - Lack of Training & Confidence: Women have lower confidence in their ability to effectively use AI tools and more likely to report needing training before they can benefit from generative AI.   - Ethical Concerns & Fears of Judgement: Women are more likely to perceive AI usage as unethical or equivalent to cheating, particularly in educational or assignment contexts. They’re also more concerned about being judged unfairly for using these tools.   The Potential Impacts: - Widening Pay & Opportunity Gap: Considerably lower AI adoption by women creates further risk of them falling behind their male counterparts, ultimately widening the gender gap in pay and job opportunities. - Self-Reinforcing Bias: AI systems trained primarily on male-generated data may evolve to serve women's needs poorly, creating a feedback loop that widens existing gender disparities in technology development and adoption.   As educators and AI literacy advocates, we face an urgent responsibility to close this gap and simply improving access is not enough. We need targeted AI literacy training programs, organizations committed to developing more ethical GenAI, and safe and supportive communities like our Women in AI + Education to help bridge this expanding digital divide.   Link to the full study in the comments. And a link also to learn more or join our Women in AI + Education Community. AI for Education #Equity #GenAI #Ailiteracy #womeninAI

"This report developed by UNESCO and in collaboration with the Women for Ethical AI (W4EAI) platform, is based on and inspired by the gender chapter of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This concrete commitment, adopted by 194 Member States, is the first and only recommendation to incorporate provisions to advance gender equality within the AI ecosystem. The primary motivation for this study lies in the realization that, despite progress in technology and AI, women remain significantly underrepresented in its development and leadership, particularly in the field of AI. For instance, currently, women reportedly make up only 29% of researchers in the field of science and development (R&D),1 while this drops to 12% in specific AI research positions.2 Additionally, only 16% of the faculty in universities conducting AI research are women, reflecting a significant lack of diversity in academic and research spaces.3 Moreover, only 30% of professionals in the AI sector are women,4 and the gender gap increases further in leadership roles, with only 18% of in C-Suite positions at AI startups being held by women.5 Another crucial finding of the study is the lack of inclusion of gender perspectives in regulatory frameworks and AI-related policies. Of the 138 countries assessed by the Global Index for Responsible AI, only 24 have frameworks that mention gender aspects, and of these, only 18 make any significant reference to gender issues in relation to AI. Even in these cases, mentions of gender equality are often superficial and do not include concrete plans or resources to address existing inequalities. The study also reveals a concerning lack of genderdisaggregated data in the fields of technology and AI, which hinders accurate measurement of progress and persistent inequalities. It highlights that in many countries, statistics on female participation are based on general STEM or ICT data, which may mask broader disparities in specific fields like AI. For example, there is a reported 44% gender gap in software development roles,6 in contrast to a 15% gap in general ICT professions.7 Furthermore, the report identifies significant risks for women due to bias in, and misuse of, AI systems. Recruitment algorithms, for instance, have shown a tendency to favor male candidates. Additionally, voice and facial recognition systems perform poorly when dealing with female voices and faces, increasing the risk of exclusion and discrimination in accessing services and technologies. Women are also disproportionately likely to be the victims of AI-enabled online harassment. The document also highlights the intersectionality of these issues, pointing out that women with additional marginalized identities (such as race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or disability) face even greater barriers to accessing and participating in the AI field."

For every 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ men who use mobile internet, in Africa only 7️⃣1️⃣ women are online; and in South Asia, only 6️⃣8️⃣. Gender inequality gets a lot of attention for #IWD2025, but the issues require year-round attention. Progress in closing the gender gap in mobile internet adoption across LMICs has stalled. And the underlying rate in women’s mobile internet adoption has slowed, as per the data shared yesterday in advance of our Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025 to be released in May. This is not a 'new' issue, and neither is the commitment from the mobile industry to tackle it: Since 2016, we have been working with 50+ mobile operators to help them quantify their gaps, design and implement solutions, and analyse what works. Collectively, they have contributed to bridging the gender gaps in mobile internet and mobile money usage by 80 million women (!) We are currently working actively with 24 of them across 16 markets - some with the highest gender gaps (🇺🇬🇪🇹🇿🇼🇬🇭🇳🇬🇲🇬🇰🇪🇲🇲🇰🇲🇹🇿🇹🇬 in Africa, 🇧🇩🇱🇰🇵🇰🇮🇩🇮🇳 in Asia) -, and always welcome commitments from more players. Digital inclusion - especially with a gender lens - has been a long-time focus of our work at GSMA since as far back as 2012 when I joined the organisation to work on this very issue. With hundreds of millions of women still not online, we have our work cut out for ourselves, but when I look at the passion and energy Claire Sibthorpe and the Connected Women team are putting into this work, the support we are getting from our donor partners (UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - Research, Science and Innovation, Sida and Gates Foundation), and the commitment from the industry - not only the leadership of the GSMA but also of many of our mobile operator members -, I remain hopeful more progress will be made. We certainly won't stop until that's the case.

Is it fair that in India, more than half of the women don’t have exclusive access to a mobile phone? Shocking, right? Yes, you heard it right. While mobile phones have become an essential tool for communication, education, and work, 52% of Indian women can only use a shared phone, and 21% don’t use one at all. Why is that? Even in 2023, when the world is more connected than ever, women still face barriers to accessing basic technology. Many families prioritize giving phones to men, considering it a “necessity” for them, while treating it as a “luxury” for women. It sounds absurd, doesn’t it? But this isn’t just about phones. It’s about independence, privacy, and opportunity. Without exclusive access, women can’t freely explore educational content, apply for jobs, or even make private calls without judgment. The gap is clear: 48% of men have their own phones compared to just 27% of women. Why does this matter? Because a mobile phone isn’t just a device—it’s a lifeline. It’s the key to staying informed, building careers, and accessing critical services. And when women are left out of the digital world, they’re left out of opportunities. So, how do we fix this? We need to make digital access a priority for women. This means: ✅ Affordable devices and data plans for women. ✅ Programs that address societal norms and encourage families to empower their daughters. ✅ Digital literacy initiatives to ensure women can fully utilize these tools. Because until everyone is connected, we can’t claim to be truly equal. What do you think? How can we make sure women get equal access to technology? LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Guide to Creating #digitaldivide #empowerwomen #genderequality #technologyforall Source: Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey, NSSO 2022-23 (via dataforindia)

Hidden link between gender inequality and accessibility Becoming a mother changed the way I look at technology and equality. I started to notice how many tools - from health apps to learning platforms - were not built with women, or with parents, in mind. Later, as I became a web accessibility expert, I understood something even bigger: gender inequality and accessibility are deeply connected. Let's take a look what research shows about this subject: 1️⃣Voice technologies don’t hear women equally Scientific studies show that voice recognition systems perform worse for female voices because most training datasets are dominated by male voices. ▷ Example: A 2023 study (No Pitch Left Behind) found that improving pitch representation reduced recognition errors for women’s voices by almost 10% (the link: https://lnkd.in/emJNZYRq) ▷ Now imagine relying on speech recognition as your main way of interacting with technology and discovering it just doesn’t “hear” you as well. For women with disabilities, this gap is more than an inconvenience: it’s an exclusion. 2️⃣Women with disabilities face double barriers UNICEF’s 2022 report shows that girls with disabilities are less likely to access digital devices or inclusive platforms compared both to boys with disabilities and to girls without disabilities. ▷ Another recent review of 66 studies on assistive tech highlighted that women often experience worse outcomes because their contexts — like caregiving, mobility patterns, or communication needs — are rarely considered in design (the link: https://lnkd.in/eZfrp-kt) ▷ This means accessibility that ignores gender risks leaving behind those who already face the highest barriers. 3️⃣Assistive technology & outcomes for women are often worse A scoping review in 2025 of 66 studies on assistive technology (AT) found that gender bias in design often leads to worse outcomes for women. Women’s specific caregiving roles, usability needs, and contexts are less considered. For example, disabled mothers’ needs were often neglected (the link: https://lnkd.in/eC4_2p3p) ▷ Also, inaccessible built environments and digital environments compound the problem for women. The report shows that gender matters not just in use, but in how well assistive tech works for different people. Accessibility isn’t only about following guidelines. It’s about asking: who gets left out when we design by default? As experts, designers, and leaders, we need to: · test products with diverse voices and genders, · co-create solutions with women with disabilities, · and bring more women into accessibility leadership to reduce blind spots. Because when technology excludes women, the whole idea of accessibility falls apart. #Accessibility #Inclusion #GenderEquality #WomenInTech #AssistiveTechnology #DigitalInclusion

Great data alert! Our partners at University of Oxford and collaborators have mapped subnational #gendergaps in internet and mobile adoption across 117 low- and middle-income countries. The global findings are striking—if not surprising: 📊 Women are 19% less likely to use the internet and 8% less likely to own a mobile phone. That’s 320 million fewer women online than men. And the authors remind us that even at the national level, the picture remains stark:📱For example, according to GSMA Foundation’s 2025 Mobile Gender Gap Report, 35% of adult Nigerian women use mobile internet. But it is when you get to double-click into the subnational data that “digital divides” start to look like chasms.📍In Nigeria, 55% of women in Lagos have accessed the internet—compared with just 1% in Kebbi State. In fact, across 40+ countries, the subnational variation in in female internet adoption exceeds 30 percentage points. The main takeaway: For those who could benefit most, live-saving and live-changing digital tools are even farther out of reach than most datasets suggest—a critical insight if we truly aspire to a digitally inclusive and equal future. 📖 Read the full #PNASJournal article: https://lnkd.in/eQKH2VCD 🔍 Explore the data: digitalgendergaps.org CC: Ridhi Kashyap Sharada Srinivasan Diva Dhar Joshua Blumenstock Caryl Feldacker, PhD, MPH Sumana Hussain #DigitalInclusion #GenderEquality #AIforGood #DigitalDivide #DataForDevelopment #Inclusion #TechForGood #DigitalTransformation #SustainableDevelopment #PNASJournal

My recent research, which examines the adoption of emerging technologies through a gender lens, illuminates continued disparities in women's experiences with Generative AI. Day after day we continue to hear about the ways GenAI will change how we work, the types of jobs that will be needed, and how it will enhance our productivity, but are these benefits equally accessible to everyone? My research suggests otherwise, particularly for women. 🕰️ The Time Crunch: Women, especially those juggling careers with care responsibilities, are facing a significant time deficit. Across the globe women spend up to twice as much time as men on care and household duties, resulting in women not having the luxury of time to upskill in GenAI technologies. This "second shift" at home is increasing an already wide divide. 💻 Tech Access Gap: Beyond time constraints, many women face limited access to the necessary technology to engage with GenAI effectively. This isn't just about owning a computer - it's about having consistent, uninterrupted access to high-speed internet and up-to-date hardware capable of running advanced AI tools. According to the GSMA, women in low- and middle-income countries are 20% less likely than men to own a smartphone and 49% less likely to use mobile internet. 🚀 Career Advancement Hurdles: The combination of time poverty and tech access limitations is creating a perfect storm. As GenAI skills become increasingly expected in the workplace, women risk falling further behind in career advancement opportunities and pay. This is especially an issue in tech-related fields and leadership positions. Women account for only about 25% of engineers working in AI, and less than 20% of speakers at AI conferences are women. 🔍 Applying a Gender Lens: By viewing this issue through a gender lens, we can see that the rapid advancement of GenAI threatens to exacerbate existing inequalities. It's not enough to create powerful AI tools; we must ensure equitable access and opportunity to leverage these tools. 📈 Moving Forward: To address this growing divide, we need targeted interventions: Flexible, asynchronous training programs that accommodate varied schedules Initiatives to improve tech access in underserved communities. Workplace policies that recognize and support employees with caregiving responsibilities. Mentorship programs specifically designed to support women in acquiring GenAI skills. There is great potential with GenAI, but also risk of leaving half our workforce behind. It's time for tech companies, employers, and policymakers to recognize and address these gender-specific barriers. Please share initiatives or ideas you have for making GenAI more inclusive and accessible for everyone. #GenderEquity #GenAI #WomenInTech #InclusiveAI #WorkplaceEquality

📊 **Gender Gaps Are Narrowing In Education, But Is This Enough For Digital India?** As I examined in my recent article, India has made remarkable progress in achieving gender parity in education enrollment across all levels - primary, secondary, and higher education. This progress earned us first rank in primary and tertiary education globally in the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gaps subindices ranking. But looking beyond enrollment numbers, concerning trends emerge: • The ASER 2024 report shows while 51% of girls in class V can read standard II level text (vs 47% of boys), only 29% of girls can do division (vs 32% of boys) • There's a significant gender gap in smartphone ownership - 36% of boys own personal smartphones compared to just 26% of girls • Between 2020-2023, Nikore Associates consultations across 15 states revealed young girls were often last to access shared household smartphones, for the least time, with most monitoring • Only 74% of private schools and 46% of government schools have internet facilities (Ministry of Education) • While women make up nearly half of STEM graduates, men continue to dominate engineering, technology, computer sciences, and management - the streams with highest growth potential With the WEF's Future of Jobs Report 2025 indicating 86% of businesses expect AI, robotics and automation to transform their companies, closing this digital divide is crucial. I propose three key solutions: 1️⃣ A mass digital literacy program for girls - a "Beti Padhao, Beti ko Phone Dilao" initiative 2️⃣ Improved technology readiness in schools through public-private partnerships 3️⃣ Celebrating women in STEM as role models For truly harnessing women-led development in a digital economy, India's girls need to be empowered in digital spaces. Today, literacy doesn't just mean being able to read and write, but to read, write, and surf. See the full article on Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt. Ltd. here: https://lnkd.in/gdcxrZR5 #GenderEquality #DigitalInclusion #WomenInSTEM #Education #India #GenderDigitalDivide #DigitalIndia #DigitalEconomy #Education #GenderGaps Nikore Associates

⭐ Today we unveil key insights from our upcoming Outlook Study on #AI and #Gender. Our findings reveal that current AI #policyframeworks often overlook gender considerations. Notably, the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) indicates that gender equality is one of the lowest-scoring areas in government frameworks. Out of 138 countries assessed, only 24 mention gender in AI, and a mere 18 address it significantly. The study also highlights the specific #risks women face from biased AI systems, such as recruitment #algorithms favoring male candidates. According to MIT’s AI Risk Repository, issues affecting women are predominantly categorized under Discrimination and Toxicity, emphasizing biases that lead to stereotyping and marginalization. Moreover, the lack of gender-disaggregated data hampers our ability to assess the effectiveness of interventions. Our study combines in-depth analysis, real-world examples, and actionable policy recommendations to expose how biases disproportionately affect women, revealing systemic barriers to gender equality in AI. Through the implementation of the Recommendation on the #Ethics of AI and the W4EAI network, UNESCO is committed to driving meaningful change. To foster a more inclusive AI landscape, we must confront these challenges head-on and advocate for diversity and equitable outcomes for all. Let's work together to create a better future!

Excited to share insights from my Master's thesis on how information technology is transforming women's empowerment in Pakistan. Initially, I was unsure where my research would lead. Still, it soon became clear that IT not only opens doors to online learning, scholarships, and global educational opportunities but also challenges traditional gender roles. As Nirmal Puwar's idea of “space invaders” suggests, women are boldly entering spaces that were once considered off-limits, redefining what it means to be independent and self-reliant. My work involved extensive discussions and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with participants who highlighted both the immense benefits and the harsh challenges of our digital era. On the one hand, digital platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have become essential tools for mentoring and connecting with scholarship opportunities. On the other hand, cyberbullying and online harassment—recorded at around 4441 cases in 2021, with a significant number involving women—pose real threats that can diminish confidence and hinder progress. Moreover, my research pointed to unequal access to IT, influenced by economic constraints and entrenched societal hierarchies. While government initiatives such as providing laptops have been appreciated by many, issues around accessibility remain a challenge. Research by UNDP Pakistan on digitalization and its impact on women has been extremely helpful in understanding the transformative potential of digital tools, yet it also reinforces that much more work is needed. In light of these findings, I strongly urge Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives to create more safe digital spaces where women can explore their potential without fear. Establishing secure, supportive environments is essential for enabling women to fully engage with the digital world and leverage its opportunities for education and employment. I’m grateful for the journey my research has taken me on, and I look forward to continuing this conversation on digital empowerment and gender equality.  #GenderEquality #WomenEmpowerment #Technology #UNDP #Digitalization