The world needs more women in AI

Members of the Digital Defenders Network of the Ley Olimpia movement, which fights against digital violence, in Mexico City. AFP

Empowerment has shattered glass ceilings and redefined leadership. Today, women around the world serve as CEOs, ministers and catalysts for change. However, in this new industrial revolution, empowerment extends beyond having access and breaking barriers; it involves shaping the future.

Artificial intelligence is at the core of this future. Since the internet revolutionised how we work, communicate and live, AI represents the most significant wave of change humanity has ever faced. The need for AI literacy is not a distant concern, particularly for women in underserved regions; it’s a pressing issue. It offers a pathway to closing the pay gap and to keep women on the track for leadership and innovation in a technology-driven world.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, women comprise just 22 per cent of AI professionals worldwide. That figure plummets to 8 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa. These aren’t just statistics but symptoms of inequities in education, access and opportunity.

The problem begins with access. In low- and middle-income countries, women are 20 per cent less likely than men to own a smartphone and 23 per cent less likely to access mobile internet, according to a 2022 GSMA report. Without these essential tools, women are excluded from the digital economy and the skills that AI demands.

But the numbers also tell a story of immense potential. A 2020 McKinsey report found that closing the gender gap in AI could add $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030. This potential economic benefit underscores the importance of investing in AI education for women. Imagine the ripple effect in the Global South, where innovation and inclusion could transform entire economies. However, progress is painfully slow. At the current rate, it will take more than 100 years to close the global gender gap across all sectors, including technology and AI, according to the WEF 2021 Global Gender Gap.

Women must be future-ready. A WEF survey based on the Future of Jobs Report 2025 indicated 41 per cent of companies worldwide plan to reduce their workforces by 2030 due to AI. AI tools integrate into our daily lives, so it is vital to empower all women – not just those in tech – with a solid understanding of them. This knowledge is essential for navigating job displacement and seizing new opportunities.

Education remains the cornerstone of empowerment, and AI can bridge this gap by providing transformative opportunities for education

Historically, empowerment has been defined by access – to education, jobs and rights. The AI era must also encompass agency and inclusion – the ability to shape our future systems and technologies. AI literacy is not merely about coding; it involves understanding biases in algorithms, ethical data use and the power dynamics that AI can reinforce or dismantle.

For instance, facial recognition algorithms often show reduced accuracy for women, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. Female participation in designing and decision-making for these systems can help address this bias. This is where AI literacy plays a crucial role. Women need to learn to identify and dismantle biases in AI that perpetuate inequality. AI education empowers women to lead inclusive discussions, ensuring AI benefits everyone and addresses biases.

The UAE is pioneering AI education in the Mena region. Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence has launched an undergraduate programme to train AI experts for the region and beyond. Dubai’s One Million AI Prompters initiative offers free courses in English and Arabic, making AI literacy accessible to all. Programmes like Abu Dhabi's free coding school pave the way for more profound technical education, enabling women to use and create AI tools.

However, in other countries in the region, even access to traditional schooling remains challenging for many women in underserved regions. Similar scalable initiatives like online courses may serve to scale the impact and transform entire communities.

Even in regions with high general literacy, like the EU, women represent only 17 per cent of information and communication technology specialists, with similar underrepresentation in AI, according to Eurostat. In North America, women comprise 26 per cent of AI professionals; in South Asia, that figure drops to just 14 per cent.

Women are often overrepresented in roles likely to be automated, such as administrative jobs, while being underrepresented in the AI and tech roles that drive innovation. This disparity underscores the urgent need to address biases in AI systems that disproportionately harm women and marginalised communities.

Education remains the cornerstone of empowerment, and AI can bridge this gap by providing transformative opportunities for education. We must commit to this future: AI literacy should be a cornerstone in women’s empowerment.