The United Nations, in its latest “Gender Snapshot 2025” report, has cautioned that women across the world face a higher risk of job disruption due to artificial intelligence than men. Emerging data shows that nearly 28 per cent of women’s jobs could be threatened, compared with about 21 per cent of men’s jobs, marking a significant gap that could worsen if corrective measures are not taken. The annual report has placed 2025 as a crucial year in the timeline, with just five years left before the deadline of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Technology As Both A Disruptor And An Equaliser

The report warns that unregulated growth of technology and lack of inclusive policy design could encode inequality into future systems. It notes that new forms of disruption, particularly in the labour sector, are fast approaching. At the same time, it stresses that artificial intelligence has the potential to act as a great equaliser if countries ensure equitable access. Proper investments and training, the UN points out, could benefit as many as 343 million women and girls, lift over 30 million women out of extreme poverty, enhance food security for 42 million, and contribute as much as 1.5 trillion dollars towards global economic growth by the year 2030.

According to the findings, what is at stake is not just the professional space but decades of gender progress in labour force participation. Governments and institutions are now urged to rethink how women are trained and supported in transitioning into technology-driven sectors.

Current State Of Gender Divide In Technology

The report points to stark disparities in the present digital economy where women are consistently underrepresented. Globally, women make up only 29 per cent of the technology workforce and occupy just 14 per cent of leadership positions in the tech space. These statistics, the UN highlights, reveal how unequal pathways in technology and digital education continue to shape opportunities for women.

There is growing concern that without decisive action, these inequalities will be carried over to artificial intelligence, replicating and even amplifying biases of the past. The UN says we must learn from those mistakes and not allow the digital future to harden divisions that already exist. If women remain excluded from digital skill development, the risk is that they will be left further behind at a time when jobs, industries and entire economies are shifting with speed.

A Roadmap For Corrective Action

Calling for urgent steps to prevent widening of the gender digital divide, the report outlines a path forward. It places emphasis on investing in digital and technical skills for women so they can participate meaningfully in new and emerging sectors. It suggests that government and private institutions facilitate job transitions by preparing workers for roles that artificial intelligence may create, while also providing support in industries that may contract.

Equally important, the report urges countries to draw up gender-responsive labour and social protection policies so that safety nets remain in place for vulnerable workers. Only through such measures, the UN report argues, can the opportunities of the digital revolution be shared fairly.

The Gender Snapshot 2025 makes it clear that the timeline is pressing. With just five years remaining before the 2030 targets, safeguarding gains in gender equality is urgent. Whether the digital future becomes a ground of equity or exclusion will depend on the choices and investments made today.

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