A call for collective efforts for inclusive and ethical AI systems for women

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A call for collective efforts for inclusive and ethical AI systems for women

The South Asian Chapter on Ethical AI for Women (W4EAI) was recently launched during the International Conference on Gender and Technology in the Indian state of Kerala.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world, but women are still underrepresented in it.

UNESCO Gender and the AI ​​landscape According to it, women represent only 30% of the AI ​​workforce and the number is even lower in leadership positions.

Women represent only 12% of AI-related roles in research and development.

Today AI is impacting every sector from economics to policy. In such circumstances, it is crucial to ensure that women’s voices are heard in the design, development and implementation of AI technologies.

To solve these problems, Amritpuri, Kerala of 2025 International Conference on Gender and Technology the time South Asian Chapter of Women for Ethical AI (W4EAI) started.

The W4EAI network, established by UNESCO, monitors the implementation of the Gender Chapter of the AI ​​Ethics Recommendation.

This South Asian chapter of these recommendations, adopted by 194 member states, focuses on the development of inclusive and ethical AI systems in the region and across the entire AI lifecycle (from design to implementation up to) ensures equal participation of women.

W4EAI aims to strengthen the voice of South Asian women, so that AI systems reflect the region’s diverse socio-economic and cultural context.

UNESCO and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Organized by Amrita University in collaboration with (IEEE), the event brought together experts from government, industry, academia and civil society to discuss promoting gender equality in AI.

important step

The launch of South Asian chapters of W4EAI in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka is an important step towards gender equality in AI.

by UNESCO Large language models A study conducted on (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s GPT-2 and Meta’s Llama 2 found that they have a persistent gender bias.

For example, female names were often associated with domestic roles, while male names were associated with managerial careers. Such biases in AI can be harmful, reinforcing stereotypes and inequality.

Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for social and human sciences, said: “We cannot afford to encourage a technological revolution that not only replicates prejudices, but deepens them.”

As such, the South Asian chapter of W4EAI will aim to support these regions in building a framework for ethical AI. This chapter will address important areas such as career guidance, regulatory incentives and gender-sensitive AI policy.

W4EAI, by promoting inclusive and ethical AI, will ensure the development of the technology everyone Be useful to all, not just certain groups.

The way to the future

W4EAI will go beyond women’s representation to call on governments to take a leadership role in implementing gender-sensitive AI policies.

Under this, policy-makers are advised to create supportive frameworks for gender equality in AI.

According to Dr. Bhavani Rao, Dean of Amrita University and President of the South Asia Chapter of W4EAI, promoting gender equality in AI is a matter of humanity.

He said, “India has recorded the highest engagement with generative AI in the Asia-Pacific region in recent times. “Given these important interactions and the impact that AI will have on South Asian populations, it is important to ensure that AI does not exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities.”

Under the South Asian chapter of W4EAI, efforts will be made to promote gender equality in AI through research, mentoring, advocacy and capacity building.

Speaking at the event, Yunsong Kim, Program Specialist and Head of the Department of Social and Human Sciences, South Asia Regional Office of UNESCO, said,“We are building a strong network of women to help organizations address the gender dimension in AI.”

“This will ensure that the development, design and implementation of AI technologies truly reflect South Asian realities.”

W4EAI aims to pave the way for a future where AI systems are inclusive, ethical and equitable. It is an attempt to create a world where technology serves all people regardless of their gender identity.