Women face higher risks from Gen AI in the workplace, ILO report

Women are significantly more exposed to job disruption from generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) than men, a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) warns. Female-dominated occupations are nearly twice as likely to be affected, raising concerns about gender inequality in the future of work.

The ILO brief, Gen AI, occupational segregation and gender equality in the world of work, highlights three main drivers of this disparity: women are overrepresented in roles most susceptible to automation, underrepresented in AI-related and STEM jobs, and AI systems often reflect societal gender biases.

The report shows that among 436 occupations analysed globally, 82 (19%) are female-dominated, 89 (20%) are male-dominated, and the remaining 266 (61%) are mixed, with substantial representation of both men and women. 

Female-dominated roles cluster in health and care, teaching, social work and culture, business administration and clerical support, personal services, sales and food preparation, and textiles and apparel manufacturing. 

Male-dominated occupations are concentrated in construction, manufacturing, trades, ICT, science and engineering, protective services, agriculture, and certain executive and armed forces positions.

This segregation contributes directly to GenAI exposure. Across occupations, 29% of female-dominated jobs are exposed to GenAI, compared with just 16% of male-dominated roles. 

Mixed occupations have a similar exposure level to female-dominated ones at 28%. High-risk exposure is concentrated in business administration and clerical support roles such as typists, word-processing operators, payroll clerks, secretaries, receptionists, librarians, translators, and interpreters. 

Male-dominated high-exposure jobs mainly fall under ICT, including software developers, web and multimedia developers, and application programmers.

Women are more exposed than men in 88% of countries analysed. Small island nations in the Pacific and Caribbean, as well as Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines, report more than 40% of female employment at risk from GenAI. 

Exposure is higher in high-income countries, 41% of jobs are exposed, compared with 11% in low-income countries, reflecting differences in occupational structures, digital readiness, and economic diversification. "Overall, Europe and Central Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean are the two regions with the highest levels of exposure for female workers on average, while Africa and Asia have the lowest exposure."

In lower-income countries, female employment is concentrated in agriculture or low-productivity services, limiting exposure to GenAI but also reflecting lower female labour force participation and less access to formal service sectors such as health, education, or public administration. Male-dominated roles are more evenly distributed across sectors, resulting in less pronounced regional or income-level variation in exposure. 

"Countries where men have relatively high exposure (although still lower than among women) include some countries in Europe (Switzerland and the United Kingdom), Asia (Maldives) and some Arab States (Lebanon, United Arab Emirates)," the report noted.

The ILO emphasizes that GenAI is unlikely to eliminate jobs outright but will transform tasks, reshape work processes, and alter required skills. For women in exposed roles, this could mean increased workloads, closer supervision, and the need for new skills—but also opportunities to leverage technology for productivity gains and career development if policies are designed inclusively.

“Generative AI is not entering a neutral labour market,” said Anam Butt, co-author of the study. “Discriminatory social norms, unequal care responsibilities, and labour market policies continue to shape who enters which occupations. Women face higher risks but fewer opportunities from this technological shift.”

Janine Berg, senior economist and co-author, added, “The impact of generative AI on women’s jobs is not predetermined. With gender-responsive design, inclusive policies, and social dialogue, we can prevent AI from reinforcing existing inequalities.”

The report underscores that embedding gender equality in the design, deployment, and governance of GenAI, along with addressing occupational segregation and expanding women’s access to skills, is essential for a future of work that benefits all.