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There is a buzz in the plenary hall of the Davos Convention Centre. Argentinian President Javier Milei (53) is guilty. Milei “The battle of the sexes is ridiculous!” He blows his trumpet. “Feminists’ radical agenda creates obstacles to economic development.”
The reactions of the female participants in the forum are clear. “Milei is shooting herself in the foot with this,” says entrepreneur Anat Bar-Gera (66). «Without the encouragement and support of women, he would have missed half the talents. This causes great damage to the economy.”
Women, refugees and immigrants should pay attention to this
Becky Frankiewicz (51), board member of Manpower Group, one of the world’s largest job placement agencies, confirms that, given the shortage of skilled workers in many industrialized countries, the economy cannot afford to lose these workers. “Untapped potential in the labor market lies in the hands of women, refugees and immigrants,” she explains.
Even this potential will not be enough to close the global workforce gap. “We don’t have enough people. Artificial intelligence will help us balance this and strengthen economic growth,” predicts Frankiewicz.
Artificial intelligence creates scantily clad businesswomen
But the next challenge for gender equality lurks in artificial intelligence. Because while Javier Milei’s failure can be dismissed as populist nonsense, AI could become a real problem.
“Anyone who asks AI Midjourney to create a CEO image will encounter a man in 98 percent of cases,” says Annabella Bassler (46), CFO of Ringier and co-founder of the EqualVoice initiative. “If you have created a ‘businesswoman’ image, in more than 50 percent of cases you will get the image of a woman with her blouse completely open in a sexy outfit,” she continued during a panel discussion on the sidelines of the WEF.
More women’s apps thanks to artificial intelligence
AI learns from existing content and thus adopts gender stereotypes. Additionally, according to the WEF survey, 78 percent of artificial intelligence (AI) experts are men. Compared to 22 percent women. There is a risk that stereotypes will not only be perpetuated but reinforced by artificial intelligence.
Becky Frankiewicz prefers to see the glass half full. At Manpower, artificial intelligence helps create job postings. “This can help reduce unconscious bias,” the American explains. People tend to write requirements like “ten years of professional experience” in job postings. This excludes many women who are in the labor market for a shorter period, for example due to a family holiday. A properly programmed AI, on the other hand, starts with the necessary skills rather than demanding a more or less arbitrary number of years of experience. Ideally, the result is a job posting that doesn’t deter women from applying from the start.
Less than one in three people at WEF are women
The WEF also has positive things to report on gender diversity: 800 of the 2,800 participants at the forum this year were women. Like never before. Organizers call this a “turning point.” However, women are still a minority at the WEF, with 28 percent. “We reaffirm our institutional commitment to continually improve the gender balance at our events,” WEF officials wrote in response to the request.
You have no choice. “A successful society, a successful economy cannot exist without women,” says Barbara Stäuble (58), board member of Women in Tech Switzerland.
Some of the most visited pavilions on the Davos Promenade these days are those that consciously address gender issues. For example, several long lines formed in front of the Hard Rock Hotel on Thursday. The World Women’s Foundation organized a series of panels here on the “World Women’s Davos Agenda”. It is an announcement to the organizers that these issues will be brought to the agenda even more strongly on the big stage at the congress center in the coming years.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
