SDG 5: Gender equality
Institutions: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | Ministry of Women and Child Development | NITI Aayog
The UNESCO Office for the Caribbean has initiated a regional survey titled, βPerception of AI Fairness and Online Safety among Women and Girls in the Caribbean.β This crucial research aims to address the significant data gap concerning how women and girls in the region interact with technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and experience online violence, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). The primary objective is to use the findings, which will also compare regional data with global insights, to develop targeted policy recommendations that ensure AI systems are designed and deployed in a manner that fully respects human rights and cultivates safer digital ecosystems.
Sharing of Findings: UNESCO will host a one-day regional workshop on December 10, 2025 (Human Rights Day) to share these findings and empower young Caribbean women with tools to navigate AI safely.
Final Output: The findings will be used to produce a policy brief that compares the regional data with global insights, which suggests the final analyzed document will be available around or shortly after this December workshop.
For India, this survey on gender, AI, and online safety highlights crucial parallel challenges for the countryβs governance framework:
Data and Digital Safety: India has a vast and rapidly growing digital user base, and the findings on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) directly inform the ongoing policy debate around the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and proposed AI regulation. The insights underscore the urgent need to establish specific legal and technical safeguards against online harm and gender-based discrimination arising from AI-driven platforms and services.
Algorithmic Equity in National Missions: Issues of AI Fairness are critical for the success of Indian government initiatives like Digital India. Policy insights from the UNESCO effort can guide NITI Aayog and MeitY in formulating standards to audit for and prevent algorithmic bias in AI models that might disadvantage women in recruitment, credit access, or social sector schemes.
International Norm Setting: As India positions itself as a leader in the Global South, the UNESCO initiative reinforces the importance of adopting and championing global ethical frameworks, such as the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This provides a relevant case study for Indian diplomacy on how regional data collection can translate into effective national policy and contribute to inclusive global AI governance.
What is technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV)? β TFGBV is a form of violence that is committed, assisted, or aggravated by the use of information and communication technologies, such as the internet and social media. It encompasses acts like cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and online harassment specifically targeting individuals based on their gender, highlighting the need for specialized policy interventions.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can national AI strategies mandate the integration of gender-disaggregated data and bias auditing mechanisms to preemptively mitigate discriminatory outcomes?
Follow the full news here: UNESCO Conducts Regional Survey on Gender and AI