Women Face Higher Risk From AI In Workforce Than Men: UN Report

Women at Greater Risk from AI in Workplace Than Men, UN Study Reveals

According to the UN's 'Gender Snapshot 2025' report, approximately 28 percent of women's jobs globally face potential displacement by artificial intelligence, compared to 21 percent of positions held by men.

This comprehensive report monitors advancement toward gender equality across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting that 2025 represents a critical milestone with just five years remaining before the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development deadline arrives.

While digital technology could potentially serve as a powerful equalizer, the report emphasizes the urgent need for measures to address the "gender digital divide."

The study points to existing inequalities in the technology sector, noting that women comprise only 29 percent of the global tech workforce and occupy merely 14 percent of leadership positions in technology. It cautions that "the world faces a new disruption and there's a risk of inequality being coded into the future if we do not learn from past mistakes."

Bridging the gender digital gap "could benefit 343 million women and girls, lift 30 million out of extreme poverty, improve food security for 42 million, and spark $1.5 trillion in global growth by 2030," according to the report.

To protect decades of progress in women's workforce participation, the UN advocates for investment in women's digital and technical skills, supporting transitions across economic sectors, and implementing gender-responsive labor and social protection policies.

Several nations have made significant strides in supporting women's entry into the workforce while balancing educational pursuits, career development, and family responsibilities.

Saudi Arabia implemented legal and policy reforms to enhance women's labor force participation and reduce care-related barriers. Consequently, women's participation more than doubled, increasing from 17 percent in 2017 to 35.4 percent by the third quarter of 2024.

The UN report warns that if current trends persist, 351 million women and girls will remain in extreme poverty by 2030, rendering the SDGs, particularly the goal of achieving gender equality, unattainable.