Artificial intelligence is transforming daily life, but UN Women warns it is also reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes and intensifying online abuse. Studies show AI systems often portray women as subordinate while excluding them from shaping the digital future. As global leaders prepare to meet in Geneva in July, UN Women is calling for gender equality to be built into every stage of AI development and governance.
AI Systems Show Widespread Gender and Racial Bias
Evidence suggests the problem is widespread. A study of 133 AI systems found that 44 per cent demonstrated gender bias, while more than a quarter showed both gender and racial bias. Large language models often associate women with home, family and childcare, while linking men to business, leadership and career success. In some cases, AI systems have generated responses portraying women as sexual objects or as subordinate to men.
According to UN Women, when researchers asked large language models to complete a sentence beginning with a person’s gender, about one in five responses came back sexist or misogynistic. Some even described women as property.
Policy Gap, Not Design Flaw
Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Women Lead on Digital Technologies, explained: “AI models pull bias from decades of text written by people, about people, in a world where women were filed under home and family, and men were filed under business and career.” She added that this is not a design flaw but “a real policy gap that was left wide open”.
Of 138 countries assessed worldwide, only 24 referred to gender in their national AI strategies, and just 18 included substantive gender-responsive measures.
Online Harms Intensifying for Women
For many women and girls, risks extend beyond stereotypes. Nearly one in four surveyed women human rights defenders, activists and journalists reported experiencing AI-assisted online violence. Twelve per cent said personal images had been shared without consent, while six per cent reported being targeted by deepfakes or manipulated content. As AI-generated material becomes the norm, harassment, manipulation and image-based abuse may become harder to detect and prevent.
Women Missing from AI Development
Women remain underrepresented in industries developing AI. Globally, they account for only 30 per cent of the AI workforce, according to the International Labour Organization. UN Women warns that without greater participation by women and other underrepresented groups, existing biases risk becoming embedded in future technologies.
The economic impact of AI may also fall unevenly. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to hold jobs at high risk of automation outside the AI sector. These effects can be compounded by race, disability, income and geography. UN Women cautions that communities already facing exclusion may be pushed further behind unless targeted action is taken.
Business Case for Inclusion
Addressing bias is not only a matter of rights but also makes commercial sense. Research by the Stereotype Alliance found that advertising free from gender stereotypes delivers stronger business results. Inclusive advertising recorded higher sales growth, greater customer loyalty and stronger pricing power. The Unstereotype Alliance playbook launched in June 2026 offers marketers tools to catch bias before it ships. UN Women stresses that when developed responsibly, AI can help identify stereotypes, expand representation and improve accessibility.
