AI Gender Gap in Singapore: Are Women Being Left Behind?

Date: March 7, 2026

Singapore is charging full speed ahead with its national AI ambitions, but a new report warns that women risk being left behind in the AI revolution. The findings from gender advocacy group Nineby9 reveal a troubling gap that could have far-reaching economic consequences if not addressed.

The Double Exposure Risk

According to the report titled "AI And The Future Of Women In The Workplace," women in Singapore face what researchers call a "double exposure" risk. They are more likely to hold jobs that AI displaces—such as administrative and service functions—while being simultaneously under-represented in roles that are AI-augmented or require technical AI skills.

The data is stark: In Singapore, women hold 33.8% of AI-disrupted jobs, compared with only 28.8% of men, based on figures from professional network LinkedIn. This disparity mirrors similar patterns in Australia, one of the four countries studied in the report.

More Than Just a STEM Problem

At first glance, the AI gender gap might seem like an extension of the long-standing gender gap in STEM roles, where women make up only 35% of workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields in Singapore. However, experts warn that the AI gender gap is fundamentally different.

"Many structural factors that contribute to the STEM gender gap also feed into the AI gender gap," explains Ms. Anupama Kannan, senior manager of programmes at non-profit United Women Singapore. "However, the critical difference is that while the STEM gap built up gradually, AI's exponential growth risks leaving women behind faster than they can catch up."

Unlike traditional STEM roles, AI's reach affects many more jobs—including most white-collar positions in law, finance, education, healthcare, and media.

Gen Z Women Face Highest Risk

The report identifies Gen Z women, aged 14 to 29, as facing the highest risk of disruption. Entry-level jobs are disappearing, and they are losing the stepping stones to leadership positions. Perhaps most concerning, Gen Z women are also less likely to have received AI training than their male peers.

"If under-representation in AI is not addressed at this formative stage, today's disparity risks solidifying into a long-term structural inequality that will be far more difficult to reverse," Ms. Kannan warns.

74% of Singapore Women in AI-Vulnerable Roles

According to LinkedIn data, 74% of women in Singapore are in roles likely to be augmented or disrupted by AI, compared with 68% of men. Globally, only 1% of women listed AI engineering skills on their profiles, compared with 2% of men.

"The real AI gender gap is not only about who loses their job, but also who gets access to AI skills, AI-complementary roles, and the power to shape how AI is deployed at work," says Ms. Soo Mei May, chief AI global solutions specialist at Dell Technologies.

Why Women Are Slowing Down

The Nineby9 report reveals several reasons why women are adopting AI more slowly. Data from Coursera shows that almost six in ten women wait for clear AI policies from their bosses before they try AI tools at work. Women also tend to approach AI learning as a way to achieve a specific goal, whereas men are more likely to use AI tools to solve immediate work problems.

Additionally, AI upskilling in many companies remains optional and self-directed—a model that disadvantages women who often work a second, unpaid shift after work as caregivers.

"We learnt that optional and self-directed learning does not work equally for everyone," says Ms. Ong Hiow Yim, head of people, culture and corporate social responsibility at Fujifilm Business Innovation Singapore. "Employees, particularly women juggling multiple responsibilities, do not lack motivation, but time and psychological safety."

Moving Forward: Solutions and Recommendations

The report calls for several key interventions:

• Integrated learning: Companies should embed AI upskilling into everyday work rather than leaving it optional
• Diverse decision-making: Women must be included at the AI decision-making table to ensure balanced technology deployment
• Recognizing different approaches: Women's more deliberate approach to AI should be valued, not penalized
• Mentorship programs: Female colleagues should be actively encouraged to experiment with AI tools

As Singapore pushes forward with its ambitious AI plans outlined in Budget 2026—including a new National AI Council and improved AI literacy in institutes of higher learning—ensuring inclusive participation will be crucial.

The question is not whether AI will transform the workplace, but whether that transformation will benefit everyone equally. As Ms. Soo notes: "The technology itself does not determine the outcome. The impact depends on the decisions made around it."

Related Resources

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Source

Straits Times: AI gender gap at work: Are women being left behind in Singapore's AI push?