In the last few years, technological advances, automation, AI and machine learning have caused a lot of changes in the job market. As Artificial Intelligence and other digital technologies are integrated into almost every aspect of work, the employees will have to adjust their plans and adopt new skills and strategies to remain ahead in the curve. The adoption of automation and AI will change the way many of us work. While it offers new job opportunities to everyone, women are the ones who will face new challenges.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute report, between 40 and 160 million women in the world will need to change occupations by 2030. If women need to weather this disruption of jobs, they will have to learn new skills and become tech-savvy. But women often face barriers and they will need support for moving forward in the work.
A new report from McKinsey Global Institute, “The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation”, finds if women can make these transitions smoothly, they can be more productive and better paid. If they do not succeed, they will have to deal with the growing wage gap.
This new research explores patterns in jobs gained, jobs lost and jobs changed for women due to the adoption of automation. According to it, men and women face a similar scale of job gains and losses but these happen in different areas. But seeing the past technological disruptions, women might be at lesser risk of getting displaced by automation compared to men. There will also be job gains because of automation. Women in most countries may gain jobs at a higher rate compared to men, based on the current share of occupations and sectors held by them.
Women’s jobs are likely to suffer from partial automation than getting completely displaced by automation. As the workplaces adopt newer technologies and some of the activities get automated, the ways women work will change even if they remain in current jobs. Because of partial automation, the lives of working women could change. Certain skills will become more important and more women can work flexibly.
Technology can help in breaking down many barriers that women face and it create new opportunities for them. But women are far behind than men when it comes to access to technology, jobs in the technology sector and skills to use technology. Due to this, women might miss out on the benefits of digital innovation. Men and women will have to work together closely in the future of work. It is important that women participate in technology creation as it has various benefits.
Lots of challenges are needed to be addressed. Women should have access to basic technology, such as the internet as well as mobile technologies and their digital skills should be developed. Also, their fear of lack of internet and digital skills has to be addressed. When these things are considered and women develop their skills, the future will have lots of new opportunities for them.