According to the World Economic Forum, at our current pace, it will take until the year 2158 to reach a “Planet 50/50.” That is 133 years of waiting for true gender equality.
But there is a new variable in the equation: Artificial Intelligence. As of January 2026, 91% of global companies have integrated AI into their business functions. By 2027, that number is expected to saturate almost every corner of the professional world. As Prof. Daphne Pillay-Naidoo (University of Pretoria) argues, we are at a crossroads. Will AI dismantle the glass ceiling, or will it become a digital reinforcement of it?
The “Give to Gain” Philosophy
Under the 2026 International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” the challenge for leadership is clear: What must we give women in the AI space to gain a fairer workplace?
The Representation Crisis
The statistics remain sobering. Women make up only 22% of AI professionals and hold less than 14% of senior leadership roles in the sector. This isn’t just a “hiring problem”—it’s a systemic risk.
- Narrow Perspectives: AI reflects the priorities of its creators. Without women at the table, systems are trained on historically biased data.
- Automated Inequality: If we don’t intentionally design AI to be inclusive, we aren’t just using technology; we are automating old-world sexism.
From Tokenism to Meaningful Power
Prof. Pillay-Naidoo emphasizes that giving women a voice in AI governance isn’t a “concession”—it’s an act of fairness and survival. When women move from being tokens to having authority over AI design:
- Bias is caught early: Diverse teams identify exclusionary patterns before they are scaled across society.
- Ethics are prioritized: Women in oversight roles ensure AI implementation remains transparent and accountable.
- Realities are recognized: The “stories” told by AI become more representative of the global population.
The Bottom Line
AI is no longer the future; it is the present. Through initiatives like the GAP project (Gender and AI in Professions), scholars are fighting to ensure this technological shift advances rather than undermines equality.
If we give women equal authority in the development, deployment, and governance of AI, we gain more than just “better tech”—we gain a shorter path to a just workspace.
