Limited positions in technology and innovation, much less its governance, lock women out of decisions defining the future

Persistent gender gaps in digital skills and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and jobs constrain women’s opportunities in research and innovation. From 2020 to 2025, women outnumbered men among graduates from tertiary STEM programmes in only 8 of 118 countries. This limited pipeline perpetuates women’s continued underrepresentation in related jobs. In 2023, women comprised 31.4 per cent of all researchers globally, up only modestly from 29.5 per cent in 2013. Further, persistent inequalities in decision-making power, financing and access to frontier technologies throttle their leadership in emerging technology governance and innovation ecosystems. In 2026, women hold only around one in four ministerial positions in research, science, innovation and technology (24.4 per cent), exercising only limited influence over digital transformation, artificial intelligence governance and regulatory agendas[1]. Barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation finance remain high; the share of start-ups globally with at least one woman or non-binary founder declined slightly from 19.9 per cent in 2015 to 18.1 per cent in 2024[2]. These founders raised 37.5 per cent less capital than those founded exclusively by men.

Emerging evidence indicates that the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence economy is reproducing gender inequalities and biases. Women are around 20 per cent less likely than men to use generative artificial intelligence tools, based on global studies covering over 140,000 individuals. Globally, women account for only around 22 per cent of artificial intelligence professionals and hold fewer than 14 per cent of senior leadership positions. As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes economies, public services and everyday life, women's equal participation in its development, governance and regulation is crucial. Women must be at the table to integrate diverse perspectives in emerging technologies, harness their power to advance gender equality, and mitigate risks such as algorithmic bias and technology-facilitated violence against women and girls.