麻豆淫院

Girls and women in AI

Women are sorely underrepresented in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, making up just 26 per cent of employees, while only 16 per cent of tenure-track academic faculty researching primarily in AI are women (UNESCO, 2024a). AI exhibits bias in its algorithmic designs, resulting in strong bias in AI-generated content which perpetuates gendered norms and stereotypes (Voutyrakou & Skordoulis, 2025). This problem will continue to be exacerbated by the lack of gender representation in AI-related employment sectors. It is important therefore that opportunities for girls in AI are supported, to promote girls’ participation and women’s leadership in AI development and help to address gender stereotypes in algorithms (UNESCO, 2024b).

In this blog post, we describe a project that provided such an opportunity.

Girls in AI programme

The ‘Girls in AI Program’ was founded at GEMS Wellington International School (in the United Arab Emirates) as an initiative aimed at building inclusive, visible and meaningful pathways for girls to engage with AI beyond the curriculum. Girls are invited (via their schools) to take part in different AI-related activities, including competitions where girls have to use AI to research and design a product, service or idea that solves either a local or global challenge. They work in teams, using collaborative skills to work together to create prototypes using AI platforms and demonstrate their product or ideas. Aiming to address the underrepresentation of girls and women in AI fields, the decision to exclude boys in this project was intentional, creating a space where girls could engage and build a strong sense of belonging in the field.

Delivered in partnership with key industry experts, the programme focuses on three core elements:

1. exposure to role models from industry
2. collaboration with peers
3. access to real-world applications of AI through workshops and challenges.

The programme reaches 35 schools and more than 370 students from across the United Arab Emirates. A blended model of in-person and online delivery ensured accessibility across diverse settings; webinars were attended by 27 participating schools, engaging in activities via interactive polling tools and live Q&A sessions.

Exposure to role models and collaborating with peers

In one of the project activities, girls research influential women in AI and help the project organisers to select and shape keynote speakers/speeches, which has strengthened student agency within the programme. Pre-project survey findings indicated that students already demonstrated awareness of AI, but post-project findings highlighted that meeting role models and collaborating with peers were powerful in going beyond simple AI awareness. Participation in the project helped students strengthen their confidence and sense of place within AI and technology fields. Student voice also reflected a desire for more time in sessions for conversation, collaboration and networking with peers, which will be reflected in future planning.

‘Participation in the project helped students strengthen their confidence and sense of place within AI and technology fields.’

Real-world applications of AI

Students are encouraged to come up with issues or problems to solve in their own schools or communities, emphasising real-world problem solving. The autonomy given to them to select their own project, one meaningful to them and their communities, improved girls’ engagement and project ownership.

The ‘Girls in AI Program’ has built momentum among educators, partners and industry experts. Registration and attendance figures reflect strong demand, with many schools proactively communicating students’ interest, and signing up independently as soon as information is shared with schools. The programme has also been extended to younger school students following strong parental interest. The inequities in the AI industry highlight the need for bespoke initiatives which actively encourage girls’ participation, such as this ‘Girls into AI’ initiative.

The programme has been impactful, and students have described experiencing a shift in the way they think about AI. One student who attended the programme said this:

The Girls in AI Program has completely changed the way I see AI. It inspired me to believe that young people, especially girls, have the power to shape what comes next.

References

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]. (2024a). Global education monitoring report 2024, gender report: Technology on her terms.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]. (2024b). Challenging systematic prejudices: An investigation into bias against women and girls in large language models.

Voutyrakou, D.A., & Skordoulis, C. (2025). Exploring gender bias in AI-generated definitions of role models: A cross-linguistic perspective. AI Ethics, 5, 5485–5500.