As AI governance discussions move forward, an important question remains: What guiding principles, indicators and accountability mechanisms are needed to make AI governance commitments meaningful in practice?
AI systems are not neutral. They are designed, trained, deployed, evaluated and governed within social, economic, and political structures that reflect existingAUDRi_Feminist Guiding Principles_Digital inequalities. As a result, they reproduce and amplify discrimination, exclusion, surveillance, exploitative labour practices, oppression, human rights violations and war crimes.
Research has demonstrated that the impacts of AI are not experienced equally. Women and girls, gender-diverse people, and other historically marginalised groups are distinctly and disproportionately affected by these harms while remaining underrepresented in the institutions, processes, leadership and industries that shape AI development and governance.
The Global Digital Compact and WSIS+20 have already affirmed gender equality within their digital governance frameworks. The first-ever Global Dialogue on AI Governance is an opportunity for governments and decision-makers to embed that feminist commitment into AI governance from the start.
Governments have a critical opportunity to truly shape AI governance to advance human rights, gender justice, equality, and sustainable development. The choices made today will determine whether AI reinforces existing systemic harm, patterns of exclusion, and the imbalanced concentration of power or contributes to a more equitable, gender-just, diverse and inclusive future.
The Gender in Digital Coalition calls on governments to place gender equality, diversity, and human rights grounded in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, feminist political economy, justice and the guiding principles outlined in this paper, at the centre of AI governance frameworks, institutions, and decision-making processes during the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and future discussions on global digital governance frameworks.
