The session, titled “Leveraging AI for Women,” brought together leading voices in technology and gender inclusion. Dr. Bhavani Rao, UNESCO Chair for Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment and Dean of the Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, joined Shreya Krishnan of AnitaB.org for the panel discussion, which was moderated by Swati Goyal of Deloitte.
The speakers collectively stressed that meaningful inclusion cannot be treated as an afterthought in AI development. Instead, they emphasized that equity must be intentionally embedded into AI systems from the very beginning — particularly to ensure that rural and underrepresented communities are not excluded from emerging digital opportunities.
Dr. Rao underscored the importance of building AI ecosystems that go beyond technical innovation to address structural barriers faced by women. Panelists highlighted several key enablers for scaling impact, including widespread AI literacy initiatives, strong ethical and governance frameworks, participatory co-design approaches, and sustained cross-sector collaboration among academia, industry, government, and civil society.
The discussion reinforced a growing global consensus: when thoughtfully designed and responsibly deployed, AI has the potential to become a powerful accelerator for women’s economic participation and leadership. However, realizing this promise will require intentional design, inclusive policies, and continued investment in community-centred capacity building.
As the summit concluded, the message was clear — the future of AI must be built with women, not merely for them.
