Davos 2026: Investing in women is the smartest bet for an AI-driven global economy, says WEF

As artificial intelligence reshapes jobs, industries and entire economies, the most powerful investment the world can make is not in machines, but in people — specifically, women. That was the central message emerging from discussions around human capital and economic resilience at the World Economic Forum (WEF), where leaders are calling for a gender-intentional approach to reskilling the global workforce.

According to the World Economic Forum, investing in women’s employment is the most efficient path toward building a resilient, inclusive and future-proof economy. Yet, despite years of progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) — the very fields that will define the next phase of economic growth.

“Investing in women is investing in humanity’s most underutilized economic engine,” the WEF emphasised, warning that without gender parity in STEM and technology, the global economy risks locking in long-term inequality at precisely the moment when adaptability matters most. 

AI’s double-edged disruption 

The urgency is underscored by the scale of technological disruption already underway. The WEF’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 estimates that 22% of today’s jobs will be transformed by AI over the next five years. While 69 million new roles are expected to emerge, 83 million jobs could be displaced — resulting in a net loss of 14 million jobs globally. 

This transformation, the Forum notes, presents a stark choice. If reskilling and upskilling programmes remain gender-blind, automation could deepen existing inequalities. If designed with intention, however, the same technological shift could unlock unprecedented economic participation for women.

“Reskilling is non-negotiable,” the WEF said, adding that gender-neutral approaches risk automating inequality rather than opportunity. 

A gender-intentional strategy 

To avoid that outcome, the World Economic Forum is advocating a three-pronged, gender-focused investment strategy. 

The first priority is closing the foundational STEM gap. Initiatives such as Global Engineer Girls (GEG), which encourage young women to pursue core STEM disciplines, are seen as essential building blocks. “A high-tech future cannot be built on an unequal foundation,” the Forum noted, calling for expanded funding for early-stage, gender-specific STEM education. 

Second is upskilling women already in the workforce — particularly in emerging economies — who are concentrated in roles most vulnerable to automation. The WEF stresses the need for rapid training in digital fluency, AI literacy and human-centric skills such as critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. Here, the private sector has a decisive role to play by offering flexible, accessible and certified learning programmes.

The third focus area targets what the Forum describes as an “emerging economy tsunami.” Nearly 800 million young people will enter working age across emerging markets over the next decade. Training and mentoring young women for new-collar jobs — including data annotation, ethical AI auditing and green technology roles — could transform a looming labour surplus into a global competitive advantage.

From electricians to climate engineers 

The Forum points to real-world labour shortages as evidence of the scale of opportunity. In the United States alone, the economy needs an estimated one million additional electricians as the green energy transition accelerates and large segments of the workforce retire. Similar gaps are emerging worldwide across clean energy, infrastructure and digital services. 

As Chair of the WEF’s Engineering and Construction Industry Group noted, the transition to net-zero infrastructure and circular economic models demands innovative thinking at an unprecedented scale. Excluding women from engineering, construction and climate-tech fields risks undermining efforts to build sustainable and resilient systems. 

“Investing in female engineers is not just a matter of social justice,” the WEF said. “It is the most direct way to secure the specialized human capital needed to solve trillion-dollar, planet-sized challenges.” 

Beyond pledges to measurable action 

With Davos 2026 focused on rebuilding trust and accelerating inclusive growth, the World Economic Forum is urging governments and businesses to move beyond symbolic commitments. What is needed, it argues, are scaled, integrated and measurable investments that connect early STEM education with the rapidly evolving demands of the AI era. 

This, the Forum insists, is not charity — it is economic self-interest. The future global economy will be built on the skills, resilience and adaptability of its people. Ensuring that women — who make up half of the potential workforce — are equipped to lead in technology, engineering and sustainability is central to that vision. 

“The dividend,” the WEF concluded, “is a world that is not only sustainable, but equitable, resilient and ready for whatever the next revolution brings.”