Dr Seema P. Salgaonkar & Akbar Gaded
Recently in an interview with PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed how women are key to building a developed India. He said “It is my conviction that women will play the most important role in creating ‘Viksit Bharat’. The statement signals recognition of women’s role in nation-building, in households, labour markets, governance, and entrepreneurship. A true Viksit Bharat cannot be realised unless women’s talent, intelligence and dreams are given equal space to grow, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be instrumental in creating new pathways for this growth.
Today, AI is transforming industries, boosting productivity, assisting medical research, improving governance, and opening the door to innovation-driven careers worldwide. Even before we finish our morning tea, AI has already filtered the news on our phones, prioritised emails, flagged digital payments, and even drafted replies to messages we have not yet opened. In such a scenario, especially on Women’s Day, it is worth pausing to reflect, what does this technological shift mean for women? How can this powerful tool be used to truly serve women’s aspirations? To understand this, we must look at the spaces where women’s lives unfold, namely the economy they participate in, healthcare they depend on, education they pursue, infrastructure they navigate, and the systems that shape their voices.
As far as the economic sphere is considered, AI has the potential to redefine women’s participation in the workforce. Studies consistently highlight a significant gender gap in unpaid labour, with women spending roughly 5-7 hours each day on household and caregiving responsibilities, compared to men, who spend 1-3 hours. In this context, AI-powered digital platforms are enabling remote work, freelance opportunities, online businesses, and access to global markets. For many women, especially those balancing caregiving duties, this flexibility can be transformative.
However, technology is not automatically neutral. AI-powered recruitment tools that scan resumes and shortlist candidates can replicate past bias if they are trained on historical hiring data. Career breaks due to maternity or caregiving responsibilities in women may be interpreted as ‘red flags’, leading algorithms to rank such resumes lower. Similar bias can also be seen when it comes accessing finances. Many women own fewer assets than men. AI-driven credit scoring systems rely heavily on financial history and ownership patterns. If not carefully designed, they may classify women borrowers as ‘risky clients’ simply because their financial journeys differ from traditional male patterns. Conscious efforts will have to be made in this direction to remove these biases. For example, recruitment algorithms can be audited regularly and should account for career breaks such as maternity or caregiving.
Today gig economy is opening newer avenues for women. Besides working in agriculture, women are also entering manufacturing & service industry. But here too AI has to be women friendly. Ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, and online marketplaces use data-driven decision systems to determine visibility and allocation. If women drivers or sellers receive lower ratings due to customer bias influenced by stereotypes, it can impact the frequency of ride assignments or product visibility thus affecting women in the service sector. The solution does not lie in blaming AI, but in reshaping it.
AI can also help design more gender-responsive infrastructure. Cities such as Vienna have demonstrated since 1990s that urban planning grounded in women’s lived mobility patterns results in more inclusive design. Research has shown that men often follow a simple home-to-work route, while women’s travel patterns have variations, involving school drop-offs, workplace travel, caregiving visits, and household responsibilities in a single trip chain. By analysing mobility data responsibly, AI can help identify these patterns and support planning decisions such as better public transport connectivity, safer pedestrian routes, well-lit streets, accessible markets, and reliable last-mile transport.
In healthcare, tele-medicine platforms supported by AI are expanding access to healthcare in rural and semi-urban areas. Women, who may delay hospital visits due to time constraints, distance, or caregiving responsibilities can now consult doctors through digital platforms. AI chatbots can provide basic information about symptoms, menstrual health, pregnancy care, nutrition, and mental well-being, areas where stigma often prevents open conversation.
Education is the key to women empowerment and AI is breaking traditional barriers of geography and access. AI-powered learning platforms can personalise lessons according to a student’s pace and understanding. Adaptive learning systems can help girl students to access high-quality courses, language training, coding tutorials, or competitive exam preparation through a smartphone. For women who had to pause their education due to marriage, caregiving, or financial constraints, online AI-supported courses can provide a second chance. However, algorithms that recommend courses or career pathways must be designed carefully. If they rely on historical data reflecting gender stereotypes, such as steering girls away from STEM fields, they may quietly limit aspirations instead of expanding them. A forward-looking Women’s Day agenda in the age of AI must move beyond symbolic celebration and demand structural reforms.AI should not merely accommodate women within existing inequalities; it must be consciously engineered to dismantle them. Only then can technological progress translate into social progress, ensuring that women are not passive beneficiaries of innovation but equal architects of India’s future.
(The writers are faculty of Political Science at Government College, Khandola, Goa)
