Women in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) are facing serious challenges known as the 'triple penalty.' A new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) indicates that with the expansion of this technology, many women's jobs are disappearing, and men are taking over new roles.
New Risks in the Job Market
The report warns that the emerging AI industry may reproduce past inequalities in the workplace and society. This study includes 97 countries and examines economic, educational, health, and political factors, showing that after two decades, advancements have become highly vulnerable.
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Women make up only one-quarter of new hires in the AI field and one-eighth of executives in this sector. WEF CEO, Saadia Zahidi, emphasizes that this new industry inadvertently reproduces some of the oldest patterns of inequality.
Challenges Facing Women
Zahidi states, "The types of jobs affected by AI typically include roles where women are more employed, such as legal positions and administrative assistants." She added that these jobs have provided women with good opportunities for livelihood over the past decades.
Sue Duke from LinkedIn, one of the collaborators on this report, says, "Women today face a triple penalty in the AI economy. They are underrepresented in AI roles, are lacking in AI companies, and are severely overlooked in leadership in this field."
The report also shows that women face additional challenges due to a lack of representation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Furthermore, career interruptions that women experience more than men negatively impact jobs in an industry that is advancing at a very rapid pace.
Ultimately, despite advancements in gender equality, this report states that achieving full equality is still 120 years away. Duke pointed out that progress in gender leadership has stalled for the fourth consecutive year, and girls born today will not see equal representation in leadership throughout their lives.
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