In a significant step toward advancing gender equality through technology, Devoteam participated in the UNECE Civil Society Forum held in Geneva on October 19-20, 2024. The forum’s AI workshop brought together distinguished participants, including UNECE member states, representatives from UN entities, ITU, WHO, UNECE diplomats, universities, researchers, and international NGOs, all united by a common goal: exploring artificial intelligence’s role in empowering all women and girls.
The workshop centered on two crucial areas:
- quality education and training
- equal access and engagement with emerging technologies for an equitable and sustainable future.
Focusing on demonstrating AI‘s positive potential, participants examined how artificial intelligence can advance gender equality across various sectors, from education and training to healthcare and cybersecurity.
I am delighted to endorse Devoteam group, especially Simon, Tristan, and Tania for their exceptional work in creating an innovative workshop and toolkit with emphasis on Harnessing AI for good, presented at the UNECE Civil Society Forum in Geneva, organised by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, Geneva.
Their seamless integration of technical expertise with engaging and dynamic methods made complex AI concepts accessible and practical for a diverse audience, from beginners to seasoned professionals. From conception to delivery, the workshop was thoughtfully designed to build both deep understanding and hands-on skills, enabling participants to confidently address real-world AI opportunities and challenges.
The toolkit created by Devoteam experts is a standout resource—comprehensive yet user-friendly—empowering users to implement AI solutions responsibly and effectively. The experts’ passion and commitment to equipping others with the tools to harness AI’s potential have set a new benchmark in AI education. I highly recommend their work to any organisation or individual aiming to enhance their AI capabilities.
Berthe De Vos-Neven
Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Vice President NGO CSW Geneva
AI for good
Devoteam’s contribution to the forum highlighted the transformative power of “AI for Good,” presenting insights on quality education, ethical frameworks, and practical applications of generative AI tools like Gemini. The comprehensive workshop toolkit, which reached +300 participants and was promoted through the UN Blue book , a network of +260 entities, laid the groundwork for promising future collaborations in this vital intersection of technology and gender equality.
The workshop centred on two crucial areas: quality education and training for , and engagement with emerging technologies, in this case AI. Focusing on demonstrating AI’s positive potential, participants examined how artificial intelligence can advance gender equality across various sectors, from education and training to healthcare and cybersecurity.
As a woman in STEM and an active member of the Civil Society working on the UNECE Beijing+30 revision, I’m convinced that using digital tools to create a sustainable and digital future for all women and girls is one where digital literacy, inclusion and meaningful participation are a driver for progress, leaving no one behind.
Tania Gomez Herazo
Expert Director & Cloud Program Manager, Devoteam
Education and training to address gender disparities
A team of Devoteam experts led the workshop: Simon Ruszala, Group Learning Director; Tania Gomez Herazo, Expert Director and Cloud Program Manager; and Tristan Van Thielen, ML Tribe Lead at Devoteam G Cloud.
Tania, Simon and Tristan brought deep insights into AI’s transformative potential, guiding participants through discussions on technological innovation and social impact.
Participants delved deep into AI’s transformative potential in addressing gender disparities. The workshop explored how technological tools can create more inclusive educational and professional environments, focusing on bridging digital skills gaps, developing ethical AI frameworks, identifying barriers to technological participation for all women & girls, and creating strategies for increasing their representation in AI and technology fields.
Devoteam’s commitment to AI education revealed significant insights into training and participation. The internal AI training showed a consultant gender composition of 22% female, with support functions reaching 47% female participation. Training completions demonstrated 25% female participation, underscoring technological education’s ongoing challenges and opportunities.
Understanding AI bias and building AI fairness
A critical focus of the workshop was building responsible AI guardrails. Experts emphasised three crucial vectors for ensuring AI fairness:
- training data selection,
- model input evaluation,
- and output correction mechanisms
The team highlighted the importance of unbiased data, ethical input filtering, and proactive detection of potentially problematic content.
A case study illustrated technology’s potential for unintended bias, noting that female drivers were 47% more likely to be severely injured in auto accidents. This example emphasized the critical need for fairness in technological design and implementation.
As Tristan mentioned, this is one example of how datasets can often be biased and points to the need for us AI engineers to do our due diligence when evaluating any dataset we use.
Empowering Through Quality Education and Training
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms our world, quality education and training becomes our most powerful tool for ensuring equity and responsible innovation. For all women and girls, mastering generative AI tools is not just advantageous—it’s imperative.
By providing targeted, quality training, we can ensure technological access, challenge existing disparities, and unlock unprecedented opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Our goal was to share knowledge, examples, and principles on how AI can contribute to economic empowerment safely and ethically. These women are not just talking about change but actively creating it. They understand that technology must serve humanity, not the other way around. Let’s amplify the voices of these women and their vision for a future where AI benefits everyone.
Simon Ruzsala
Group Learning Director, Devoteam