Global ‘AI Foundations for Women’ Event Tackles Gender Gap in AI Adoption

Women risk being left behind in the AI revolution. Despite decades of progress in technology, adoption of AI tools among women lags far behind men, a gap that threatens career growth, innovation, and equity.

According to LinkedIn, 41% of professionals say the current pace of AI change is taking a toll on their wellbeing. That number likely skews even higher for women—who are less likely to experiment with the tools, less likely to enroll in AI courses, and far more likely to feel unsure where to begin.

Why Now: The Urgent AI Gender Gap

AI isn’t optional – it’s already reshaping the workplace, the economy, and everyday life. If women are excluded from the AI revolution, the gender gaps we’ve spent decades narrowing could widen all over again.

• Women are 22% less likely than men to use generative AI tools (Harvard Business School).
  
• Only 20% of AI and data science roles globally are held by women.
  
• On Coursera, just 31% of AI course enrollments come from women.

This divide risks widening long-standing gender gaps in pay, promotion, and innovation.

“We can’t afford to let AI become another barrier to women’s advancement,” said Miri Rodriguez, CEO of Empressa. “This event is about giving women the confidence and tools to lead in this new era of work.”

Why Many Women Don’t Trust or Use AI

The barriers aren’t about capability—they’re structural, social, and deeply human.

Ethical and Workplace Stigma

Many women report concern that using AI could be seen as “cheating” or could undermine their credibility. Harvard researchers found women are more likely than men to worry about the ethical perception of using AI at work—leading to hesitation, even when AI could improve productivity.

Trust and Safety Concerns

Women are significantly more skeptical of AI’s trustworthiness. According to Deloitte, women express greater concern about bias, misinformation, and data privacy—creating a technology trust gap that directly impacts usage.

Confidence Gaps in Skills

Women are six times more likely to enroll in beginner AI courses than advanced ones. Even when interested, many report not knowing where to start or feeling unprepared to engage with more complex tools—despite having the aptitude.

Time Constraints and Need for Flexibility

Time remains a major barrier. Women balancing caregiving, careers, and households often cite “lack of time” as the top reason for not pursuing tech education. As Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin has shown, flexible work and learning options are essential to gender equity—and most tech training formats still ignore this.

Representation and Relevance

When women don’t see themselves in AI—whether in the classroom, at conferences, or in leadership—it reinforces the idea that AI “isn’t for them.” In one study, only 36% of women believed AI could advance their career (compared to 45% of men). But when content is framed around real-world use cases—healthcare, education, creative fields—engagement rises significantly.

What’s at Stake if the Gap Isn’t Addressed

This isn’t just a diversity issue. It’s a leadership, innovation, and economic risk.

Career and Economic Impacts

As AI increases productivity and reshapes job functions, early adopters gain an edge—freeing up time, expanding influence, and accelerating promotions. If women miss this window, they risk falling further behind in pay, leadership, and opportunity.

Biased Innovation

Nearly 44% of AI systems exhibit gender bias when women are excluded from their development. From voice assistants that struggle with female voices to health algorithms that ignore women’s symptoms, underrepresentation leads to harmful outcomes. If women aren’t using and shaping AI, they’re not influencing the tools that will soon influence everything.

Losing Economic Growth

In 2021, women stepping away from the workforce due to inflexibility cost the U.S. economy $97 billion in lost GDP. If women are again sidelined—this time from AI—the economic loss will be even greater. Conversely, closing the AI confidence gap unlocks productivity, innovation, and prosperity at scale.

AI’s Future Direction

If men dominate AI usage, development, and feedback loops, the technology will evolve to prioritize their needs. Giving women equal access to learn, shape, and critique AI ensures that its future reflects more perspectives, ethical rigor, and human relevance.

Bridging the Gap: AI Foundations for Women

That’s why Empressa, in collaboration with The WIT Network, is launching AI Foundations for Women—a global, virtual event happening November 7, 2025. This one-day experience is designed to deliver what most AI trainings miss: relevance, support, and accessibility for women.

This isn’t just a webinar—or a course. It’s a movement.

One that creates a smarter, more inclusive path to AI confidence.

No travel required. No late-night Zooms. Whether you’re a working mom in Toronto or a student in Singapore, you’ll get full access to the content—on your terms.

Designed for Women, Not Around Them

The content is built from the ground up for how women learn, lead, and live.

• Practical AI labs with no-code, open source tools and more
• Applications in fields where women are already strong: education, healthcare, creative, marketing
• Sessions on ethical AI, data privacy, and responsible use
• Real-world case studies from women using AI to transform their work
• Judgment-free hands-on workshops with live guidance and Q&A
• Mentorship opportunities and ongoing community connections

As Coursera’s report makes clear: “This hesitation isn’t about skill gaps alone—it stems from societal messaging, limited access to mentors, and a lack of personalized learning support.” AI Foundations for Women is built to fix that.

Building a More Inclusive AI Future

AI Foundations for Women is more than a day of learning—it’s the beginning of a much-needed shift.

By equipping more women to use, evaluate, and shape AI, we can create a future where the technology reflects more of us—and serves all of us. The stakes are high. But so is the opportunity.

The gender gap in AI is solvable.

We’re not asking women to adapt to tech.

We’re redesigning tech to rise with women. 👑

This event isn’t just about skills; it’s about rewriting the future of work.

Registration is open! Click here to Save your Seat.

Want to cover this story? We’d love to hear from journalists, partners, and organizations committed to equity in innovation.