Call to Rethink AI: Why Women and Human Rights Matter Now More Than Ever
AI Action Summit – Paris 10 February 2025
We were honoured to be officially invited to attend and to speak at the AI Action Summit held 10-11 February in Paris, as one of the 10 members of the “Gender and AI Advisory Council” to the Summit.
Members of the 10 person group followed one of the tracks, 1) AI for Public Interests; 2) AI and the Future of Work; 3) AI and Innovation; 4) AI and Security/Safety; 5) AI and Global Governance, and were able to provide recommendations to be advanced by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. France which aimed to integrate gender perspectives on AI as a cross-cutting priority across these five areas. Our CEO was part of the AI for Public Interests track which met throughout the fall and early winter.
To this end the Gender & AI Advisory Council Public Interest Tech sub group made a formal recommendation, accepted by the Ministry, but which unfortunately did not make it out of the Member State negotiations. That said, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, through its Feminist Foreign Policy, continues to work on the nexus between gender equality and human rights, and the digital realm.
Our recommendation was that: In order to comply with the mandate for a human rights-based approach to Public Interest AI a gender lens be mainstreamed with conditionality in the International Foundation and Fund for Public Interest AI guidelines and include mandated, targeted and specific gender lens considerations in funding research, development, deployment and monitoring.
Speaking at the AI Action Summit:
It was an honour to speak on the only panel on gender at the official AI Action Summit:
A Call to Rethink AI: Why Women and Human Rights Matter Now More Than Ever?
- Delphine O, French Ambassador and Secretary General of the Generation Equality Forum
- Hanne Juncher, Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
- Amal El Fallah-Seghrouchni, Minister of Digital Transition, Morocco
- Logi Mar Einarsson, Minister of Culture and Communication, Iceland
- Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal Messenger
- Sue Hendrickson, CEO of Human Rights First
- Dr. Alessandra Sala, co chair of UNESCO WomeninEthicalAI group
- Caitlin Kraft Buchman CEO / Founder, Women At The Table; A+ Alliance for Inclusive Algorithms
- Dr Cristina LUNGHI Founder of ARBORUS
Here are the official Remarks made on the panel on behalf of the Public Interest Tech pillar Members of the Gender & AI Advisory Council :
Part 1: The Critical Need for Inclusive Digital Infrastructure
Dear distinguished colleagues,
France has made gender a cross-cutting priority in its AI strategy. In alignment with this vision, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has established the Gender and AI Advisory Group, bringing together globally recognized experts at the intersection of gender and AI. This advisory group serves as a consultation platform to embed gender perspectives across all five working groups, with a particular focus on delivering concrete actions within the International Foundation and Fund for Public Interest AI.
But why is this conversation so urgent today?
First, the data speaks for itself. UNESCO’s Women4EthicalAI Outlook and the Global Index on Responsible AI confirm that most national AI policies lack targeted gender frameworks. Similarly, the World Bank’s guidelines on gender and infrastructure show that clear, enforceable measures drive both equity and innovation.
Second, our mandate is human rights-based. This means we have a responsibility to ensure AI serves everyone—including women and girls, who make up half the world’s population but remain systematically underrepresented in the AI ecosystem.
The solution is clear: if we embed gender considerations at every stage—funding, research, development, and deployment—we don’t just promote fairness; we build better technology. More inclusive datasets, fairer algorithms, and AI-driven innovations that serve entire communities, not just a privileged few. By doing so, we are not just advancing gender equality; we are laying the foundation for a truly inclusive digital infrastructure for the future.
… and now I pass it to my colleague and co-chair of the Gender and AI Advisory Group for our recommendation.
Part 2: A Game-Changing Proposal for Public Interest AI
Today, we want to spotlight an urgent and transformative recommendation for the Public Interest AI agenda: mainstreaming a gender lens—backed by conditionality—within the International Foundation and Fund for Public Interest AI.
Our call to action is simple yet powerful: make gender considerations mandatory at every stage of AI funding, research, deployment, and monitoring. This is how we ensure AI works for all of society—by designing solutions that are truly representative, equitable, and innovative.
This isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic one. The Minister’s directive to place gender at the heart of this Summit reflects a profound realization: exclusion today will lock in inequalities for generations to come.
Moreover, we are not starting from scratch. We stand on the shoulders of global commitments—the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI. These frameworks make it abundantly clear: no societal progress is possible without the full and meaningful participation of women and girls.
Now is the moment to act. By embedding gender as a non-negotiable priority in AI governance, we are not only building a more just and ethical AI ecosystem, but also unlocking new opportunities for economic growth, innovation, and global cooperation.
Let us seize this opportunity to ensure that AI is not just a tool of progress, but a force for inclusive and sustainable transformation for all.
Thank you.
*Alessandra Sala and Caitlin Kraft-Buchman