The meeting was chaired by Her Excellency Sally Kader, President of IFPSD, and brought together global experts, scholars, and policymakers to explore both the potential and challenges of AI in empowering women. The opening remarks were delivered by His Excellency Hamid Opeloyeru, representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He emphasized the need to incorporate a gender perspective into the rapid advancement of AI to ensure that women around the world are not marginalized in the digital age.

The panel noted that while AI holds tremendous potential to drive economic innovation, women remain significantly underrepresented in AI-related industries, leadership positions, and algorithm development. This imbalance may lead to embedded biases in technology, reinforcing systemic discrimination. Experts called for global collaboration to ensure that AI development becomes a platform for inclusion, not exclusion, offering greater opportunities for women. During the expert panel segment, several distinguished speakers shared their insights and experiences:

• Her Excellency Ambassador Jane Waetara
• Dr. Donise Walden
• Ms. Tanis Jorge
• Ms. Genevieve Bos
• Mr. Eduardo Albrecht

The speakers unanimously agreed on the importance of policy support, educational access, and technological innovation in fostering a favorable environment for women entrepreneurs. In particular, AI can be leveraged to design financial solutions tailored to women’s needs, thereby promoting broader financial inclusion. This side event not only deepened the international community’s understanding of the intersection between AI and gender equality but also contributed meaningful perspectives toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equity and economic empowerment.