Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way societies work, learn, govern and innovate. It offers extraordinary opportunities, but it also raises urgent questions about fairness, trust and inclusion.
  
At the centre of this debate lies a stark reality: women remain significantly underrepresented in the AI workforce and leadership, and this imbalance threatens to shape technologies that will define the future in ways that exclude half of humanity.
  
Globally, women account for less than 30 per cent of the AI workforce, and only about 15 per cent hold leadership positions in the field. The disparity extends to national ICT ministers and regulators, where women occupy just 20 and 23 per cent of roles, respectively. These figures highlight whose voices and perspectives are influencing the systems that increasingly govern our lives.
  
As ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasised: “If AI is to serve all of humanity, then 100 per cent of humanity must be fully represented in designing, governing and deploying it.”
  
This theme of inclusive leadership was central to the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders in ICT breakfast organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) during Geneva Digital Week. Sarah Toms of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) spoke about the invisible “luggage” carried by those entering spaces where they have long been underrepresented: unconscious bias, pressure to prove themselves, and the persistent feeling of not belonging.
   
For many women in technology, this burden manifests in hesitation before speaking up, over-preparation before meetings, and the awareness of being judged as a representative of an entire group. True leadership, however, is not about asking women to carry this burden more gracefully. It is about building institutions and cultures where fewer people carry such luggage at all.
  
Encouragingly, the gathering was not just about networking; it was about action. More than 200 women leaders, including ministers, regulators, ambassadors, private-sector executives, academics, and young innovators, came together to tackle one of the defining questions: how do we ensure AI works for everyone?
  
Participants identified concrete steps to make gender-responsive AI a reality. They include strengthening standards and procurement frameworks, embedding gender considerations throughout the AI lifecycle, expanding mentoring opportunities, and investing in leadership development. These commitments signal a collective determination to dismantle barriers and create pathways for women to thrive in digital policy and innovation.
   
Looking ahead, the ITU has set ambitious goals. During the meeting, Bogdan-Martin challenged members to strive for 50 per cent women’s participation at the upcoming Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26). She explained: “Inclusive leadership produces stronger institutions, better decisions and more innovative solutions. That principle should guide every conversation about AI, digital transformation and global digital cooperation.”
  
Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union in the UAE, As Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, reminded participants: “We are championing a global movement where women stand as pioneers, shaping a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable digital world.”