Vinnova X WAI Collaboration

Vinnova believes there is a need to put more effort and resources into examining how AI can become a driver to increase Gender Equality rather than counteract it.

Women in AI (WAI) provides access to key experts, global perspective and exposure to this topic and help with collecting knowledge and insights.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an area of strategic importance and a key driver of economic progress, hence women have to be part of its development as researchers, programmers and users. While AI can bring solutions to many societal challenges, it risks intensifying gender inequalities. Algorithms and related machine learning, if not transparent and robust enough, risk repeating, amplifying or contributing to gender biases that programmers may not be aware of or that are the result of specific data selection.

Women in AI in Australia is hosting the first AI for Gender Equality series in collaboration with Vinnova Swedish Innovation Agency.
This project is to promote a diverse and inclusive framework by providing tech and AI solutions to address challenges in Gender equality.

Gender inequality is a global problem. Gender equality and women’s empowerment via tech & AI is a core objective of Vinnova X WAI collaboration. With rapid transformation and digitisation of the economy and the labour market, today 90% of jobs require basic digital skills, Women only represent 17% of people in this.

We will have a thought-provoking panel discussion with Gender Equality professionals and tech leaders followed by a breakout session for a small group workshop led by Gender Equality and Tech leaders. The session will be wrapped up by sharing insights from the group workshop and present findings and recommendation for the next step.

We are pleased to have an amazing live welcome note from Elena Kell Swedish Women in AI Ambassador who is leading this project with Vinnova in Sweden.

Guest panellist will share their professional journey in Gender Equality, AI and technology and why it is important to promote more females into technology and AI. Also how we can work together to create a holistic Gender Equality ecosystem where we can collaborate to achieve Gender Equity by pulling levers with technology and AI. Some of the topics to be discussed at the event are as following;

Gender equality issues formulated by the UN and the EU (which of these can AI help to solve?)

Gender-related pay differences

The gender pay gap in the EU is about 16%. Differences in pay may be due to a variety of factors, both direct and indirect. Indirect discrimination means that someone is disadvantaged through the application of a provision, criterion or method that appears neutral, but which may disadvantage people of a certain gender. Indirect discrimination is also linked to bias in assessment. See below.

Gender-related violence

Eliminating gender-based violence is a priority, as this is one of the most pervasive violations of human rights in the world today. Based on data from 87 countries, 1 in 5 women and girls under the age of 50 will have experienced physical and / or sexual violence by an intimate partner over the past 12 months.

Unpaid work

Women perform 2.6 times more unpaid care and housework than men. While families, communities and economies are dependent on this work, it leads to lower incomes and less time for women to participate in extracurricular activities. In addition to equal distribution of financial resources, which is not only a right but accelerates development in several areas, there must be a fair balance of responsibility for unpaid care work between men and women.

Uneven funding for entrepreneurs

About 4% of venture capital goes to companies founded by women.

Bias in assessments

occurs in many different parts of society, within healthcare, recruitment, grades, salary setting, health insurance, loans etc.

Gender-related health

Developments in health, but also in terms of health and care conditions, differ between women and men. More diseases that women suffer to a greater extent tend to be lower priorities in health care. + OTHERS?

Star-studded panellist;

Libby Lyons

Director, Workplace Gender Equality Agency

Dr Janin Bredehoeft

Research and Analytics Executive Manager at the Workplace Gender Equality Agency

Emma Dawson

Executive Director at Per Capita Australia

Kimberlee Weatherall

Professor at the University of Sydney Law School

Dr Ying Yang

Senior Director of Data Science at the Australian Taxation Office

1. Agnes Panosian

Data and AI Sales Director at Microsoft

Jacinta Hargan

Technology Partner at KPMG Australia

Host Angela Kim

Women in AI Education Ambassador for Australia, Head of Analytics & AI at THF

We look forward to seeing you at AI for Gender equality event on the 12th of June from 12 – 2 PM.

Thanks and Warm regards,

From WAI Australia team