Why do women need to play a stronger role in AI development?

Why do women need to play a stronger role in AI development?

By Sarah Creedon, March 2026

As we mark International Women’s Day 2026 under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action,” the business case for integrating the expertise of women human rights defenders across Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool development has never been more urgent. With the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) now a reality, the Swiss Guidelines on human rights 2026-2029, and Swiss National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights 2024–27 emphasizing the digital sphere, meaningful stakeholder engagement is a legal and operational mandate. Without gender expertise, AI becomes a reputational and operational liability. As the Swiss DFAE recently noted, “human rights underpin democratic systems.” In the 21st century, those systems are increasingly digital. If women are not at the table where AI is designed, the “universality” of human rights remains an unfulfilled promise.

The Striking Gender Gap in AI Development

Decades of research has shown that enhancing women’s role in executive teams improves profitability and operational resilience. Companies who improve gender diversity across their teams outperform their peers by over 25%.

However, current statistics provide a stark reminder of the gender data gap in the development of the technology that now governs our global economy. Only approximately 20% of employees in technical AI roles globally are women. Women hold fewer than 15% of executive decision-making positions in major AI labs. Women represent only 12–15% of authors in prominent AI research publications.

AI tech companies should be motivated to integrate the experiences and expertise of women human rights defenders to improve their profitability, sustainability and increase the likelihood that their products will be used by women consumers. According to a Harvard Business School study women are not using AI tools as regularly as male colleagues due to concerns about ethics.

As underscored by UN Women there is a critical need for drawing upon diverse fields of expertise when developing AI, including gender expertise, so machine learning systems can serve us better and support the drive for a more equal and sustainable world. In a rapidly advancing AI industry, the lack of gender perspectives, data, and decision-making can perpetuate profound inequality for years to come.

The Role of Women in AI Developments in Enhancing Security

I have witnessed a recurring phenomenon that the private sector too often overlooks: the unmatched logistical and diplomatic prowess of women human rights defenders. Over two decades, I have worked with women in complex conflicts from Syria to Sudan as they negotiate aid across hostile checkpoints, secure the release of prisoners, and build bridges between non-state armed actors where traditional diplomacy failed. If these women can navigate the highest-stakes conflicts on earth, imagine what their insights could do for a global supply chain and AI product’s risk profile.

AI is a new frontier of security and political influence, leading tech firms behind it are becoming more influential. The logic of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security passed in 2000 —which urges the representation of women at all decision-making levels for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict —must now be applied to the digital frontier. In a rapidly evolving AI industry - the lack of gender equity is not just an oversight - it is a structural deficit that threatens global stability. AI systems are only as good as the information that is fed into it. As AI systems become more intertwined with national security and defense industries the logic of resolution 1325 is more relevant.

Concrete Illustrations for the Need of Gender Inclusivity

In 2025, 70% of women human rights defenders have experienced AI-assisted online violence, such as deepfakes. Their experiences should be integrated in safety designs for AI tools to ensure they are not weaponized for digital surveillance and harassment.

Bias and discrimination are powerful drivers of conflict. Deepfake videos are leading to indiscriminate and targeted violence on a global scale. Integrating women across AI product development and policy is a logical response to mitigate the risks of bias which can fuel conflict.

Decades of research proves that enhanced engagement with women in conflict prevention supports long-term stability. For example, peace agreements with women signatories are 35% more likely to last 15 years. For the private sector, this can be translated into a sustainable investment. Inclusive design integrating insights from women can provide a more accurate picture into conflict drivers and prevention.

How to Meaningfully Engage with Women Human Rights Defenders

The Swiss Guidelines on Human Rights 2026-2029 specifically addresses the “threats and challenges posed by the rapid development of new technologies,” including AI. While the Swiss National Action Plan and EU CSDDD mandate “meaningful stakeholder engagement,” funding for human rights organizations is projected to drop by $1.9 billion in 2026. In this vacuum of support, the private sector must step up.

By leveraging the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) framework, companies can transform their AI tool development lifecycle to integrate diverse perspectives, enhance meaningful engagement, and address algorithmic discrimination. Women human rights defenders should be engaged in decisions around how AI identifies conflict risks and preventative measures. Companies should meaningfully engage women human rights defenders in due diligence processes including critiquing tech tool designs before they go to market. Companies in turn can support women human rights defenders with AI training to enhance their technical expertise on issues such as cyber security that are fundamental to their ability to operate safely.

Women human rights defenders are a primary source for valuable insights. Companies should seek more robust meaningful engagement.

Further Reading:

1) UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Human Rights Due Diligence for Digital Technology Use: Artificial Intelligence. Issue Brief. September 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/ohchr-brief-ai.pdf

2) UNESCO. Women 4Ethical AI. https://www.unesco.org/en/artificial-intelligence/women4ethical-ai

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. https://www.unesco.org/en/artificial-intelligence/recommendation-ethics?hub=32618

Tackling Gender Bias and Harms in Artificial Intelligence. July 2025. https://www.unesco.org/ethics-ai/en/articles/tackling-gender-bias-and-harms-artificial-intelligence-ai

3) UN Women. How AI reinforces gender bias-and what we can do about it. February 2025. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/interview/2025/02/how-ai-reinforces-gender-bias-and-what-we-can-do-about-it#:~:text=%E2%80%9CTo%20reduce%20gender%20bias%20in,bias%20and%20drive%20better%20decisions?

Artificial Intelligence and Gender Equality. Explainer. June 2024. https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/artificial-intelligence-and-gender-equality#:~:text=How%20to%20avoid%20gender%20bias,more%20equal%20and%20sustainable%20world Women human rights defenders: Resisting Pushback, Powering Progress. Statement. November 2025. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2025/11/statement-women-human-rights-defenders-resisting-pushback-powering-progress#:~:text=Nearly%20one%20in%20four%20countries,UN%20Women%20stands%20with%20them

4) World Economic Forum. Why its time to use reskilling to unlock women’s STEM potential. January. 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/why-it-s-time-to-use-reskilling-to-unlock-women-s-stem-potential/#:~:text=Women%20make%20up%20just%2028,growth%20during%20the%20reskilling%20revolution.

5) International Telecommunication Union. Inclusive, responsible AI needs women front and centre. July 2024. https://www.itu.int/hub/2024/07/inclusive-responsible-ai-needs-women-front-and-centre/#:~:text=Women%20represent%20just%2022%20per,hosted%20discussion%20in%20Geneva%2C%20Switzerland.