Thank you, Madam Vice President,

The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the statement by the EU and is a staunch supporter of the working group on discrimination of women and girls. 

The Netherlands welcomes the report and shares the concerns outlined therein. AI can help drive progress, but it can also reinforce existing inequalities when bias is embedded in its design or data. AI-driven tools such as deepfakes and disinformation disproportionately affect women, LGBTQI+ people and minority groups. It contributes to exclusion and limits their participation in public life. 
  
The Netherlands therefore stresses the importance of ensuring that AI and other technologies are developed in a gender transformative way, as to address the root causes of inequalities. This requires investing in the appropriate regulations and measures to address the risks, as well as the full, equal and meaningful inclusion of women in all aspects of development and addressing gender gaps in the fields of STEM education and work. Only then can these technologies help achieve gender equality.

What measures should governments develop to ensure that AI and digital technologies do not reinforce inequalities but rather advance women’s rights and gender equality? 

Thank you