Source: TOI
Context:
A recent UN report (Gender Snapshot 2025) indicates that women’s jobs globally face greater susceptibility to automation and AI-driven displacement compared to men’s jobs.
Key Findings:
- Risk Percentage:
- Approximately 28% of women’s jobs are estimated to be at risk due to AI and automation, compared to 21% for men.
- Workforce Representation:
- Women constitute roughly 29% of the global tech workforce, but only about 14% of tech leadership roles.
- Gender Digital Divide:
- The report emphasizes that unless actions are taken, AI could widen gender inequalities, especially as the jobs women hold are often more vulnerable to automation, less well-compensated, or in sectors less digitally protected.
- Potential Gains of Bridging the Gap:
- If gender digital inclusion improves, possible outcomes by 2030 include lifting millions out of poverty, improving food security, and contributing significantly to global growth (often cited in the range of US$1.5 trillion globally).
Recommendations
- Skill Development
- Invest in women’s digital and technical skills
- Prepare women for jobs in AI, tech, and other digital sectors
- Economic Transitions
- Facilitate women’s movement across sectors affected by technological disruption
- Policy Measures
- Implement gender-responsive labour policies
- Strengthen social protection measures to prevent disproportionate job losses among women
