The Gender Code: Gendering the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how international AI governance frameworks address gender issues, highlighting emerging trends, gaps, and the need for intersectional, enforceable, and inclusive policies to promote equity and prevent inequalities.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of gender considerations in global AI governance frameworks and emphasizes the importance of intersectionality and enforcement for ethical AI.

Findings

Emerging integration of gender concerns into human rights frameworks

Inconsistent treatment of gender across governance documents

Gaps in intersectionality and enforcement mechanisms

Abstract

This paper examines how international AI governance frameworks address gender issues and gender-based harms. The analysis covers binding regulations, such as the EU AI Act; soft law instruments, like the UNESCO Recommendations on AI Ethics; and global initiatives, such as the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI). These instruments reveal emerging trends, including the integration of gender concerns into broader human rights frameworks, a shift toward explicit gender-related provisions, and a growing emphasis on inclusivity and diversity. Yet, some critical gaps persist, including inconsistent treatment of gender across governance documents, limited engagement with intersectionality, and a lack of robust enforcement mechanisms. However, this paper argues that effective AI governance must be intersectional, enforceable, and inclusive. This is key to moving beyond tokenism toward meaningful equity and preventing reinforcement of existing inequalities. The study contributes to ethical AI debates by highlighting the importance of gender-sensitive governance in building a just technological future.