Latest news with #genderdisparity
Trade Arabia
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Trade Arabia
Volvo CE expands Iron Women programme to India
In a major move, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) said it has begun expanding its global vocational initiative - Iron Women - to India in a bid to address both its industry gender disparity and the need for skilled operators and technicians. The pioneering model aims to reshape societal norms in India that discourage women from technical vocations while supporting underprivileged communities to access training. The program is driven by a collaboration between Volvo CE India, dealer partner Pollutech Engineering and customer Kalinga Commercial Corporation Limited (KCCL). This new phase in the construction-focused Iron Women program comes after an initial roll out in Ukraine last year, where the need for qualified operators to support rebuilding efforts has never been more critical, said the company in a statement. According to Volvo CE, India's construction equipment sector faces a significant gender gap, particularly in operator and technician roles. This is made worse by limited access to training and education for women from underprivileged backgrounds. At the same time, there is a widespread shortage of adequately trained and skilled operators in the region, regardless of gender, it stated. The Iron Women program has been established to address these three interconnected challenges. It aims to open the doors to employment for underprivileged women, equip them with industry-specific skills and foster a diverse workforce to meet the demands of the sector. Tomas Kuta, the Head of Sales Region Asia at Volvo CE, said: "The Iron Women Program is a powerful step towards shaping an inclusive future in our industry. It is not just about training women - it is about unlocking potential, creating opportunities, and reshaping perceptions." "This initiative reflects our commitment to building a workforce that is diverse, skilled, and future-ready," he stated. The initiative aims to fill a skills gap in the region by offering operator training for women. "The model has already been introduced in Ukraine, where women have been trained in vital skills to support rebuilding efforts at a time when unemployment and labor market gaps have been impacting the industry. Now, the program has opened in India from March, with participants already taking advantage and developing their learning," he added. The initiative in India offers three specific training programs: an operator program, a workshop technician program, and a technician program for the factory floor. Over several months, participants benefit from access to cutting-edge technology provided by Volvo CE and practical training and jobsite placements with dealer partner Pollutech Engineering and mining customer Kalinga Commercial Corporation Limited. It is an unrivalled platform to gain valuable skills from leading experts in their field and secure the required certification for real-world job opportunities, it stated. "I come from a place where women are rarely seen in such roles, but this journey has changed my life. I came here unsure of what I could do - now I leave with a skill, a voice, and the courage to dream bigger. Iron Women made me believe that no dream is too bold," said Laxmi Naik, one of the participants of the program. Empowering women in construction Dilip Tripathi, CEO of Pollutech Engineering, said: "Empowering women through skill development isn't just the right thing to do – it's the smart thing to do." "The Iron Women Program is building a new generation of trained, confident professionals who will shape the future of our industry. We are proud to be a part of this transformative journey," he stated. A workshop technician program and a technician program for the factory floor are also included.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Female-dominated fields more vulnerable to artificial intelligence, says UN report
Social Sharing Jobs traditionally done by women are more vulnerable to the impact of artificial intelligence than those done by men, especially in high-income countries, a report by the United Nations' International Labour Organization showed on Tuesday. It found 9.6 per cent of traditionally female jobs were set to be transformed compared with 3.5 per cent of those carried out by men as AI increasingly takes on administrative tasks and transforms clerical jobs, such as secretarial work. Human involvement will still be required for many tasks, and roles are more likely to be radically changed rather than eliminated, the report said. Jobs in the media, software and finance-related roles are also at the forefront of change as generative AI expands its learning abilities. "We stress that such exposure does not imply the immediate automation of an entire occupation, but rather the potential for a large share of its current tasks to be performed using this technology," the report said. It called on governments and employers' and workers' organizations to think about how AI can be used to enhance productivity and job quality.
Japan Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
AI poses a bigger threat to women's work than men's, says U.N. report
Jobs traditionally done by women are more vulnerable to the impact of artificial intelligence than those done by men, especially in high-income countries, a report by the United Nations' International Labour Organization showed on Tuesday. It found 9.6% of traditionally female jobs were set to be transformed compared with 3.5% of those carried out by men as AI increasingly takes on administrative tasks and transforms clerical jobs, such as secretarial work. Human involvement will still be required for many tasks — and roles are more likely to be radically changed rather than eliminated, the report said. Jobs in the media, software and finance-related roles are also at the forefront of change as generative AI expands its learning abilities. "We stress that such exposure does not imply the immediate automation of an entire occupation, but rather the potential for a large share of its current tasks to be performed using this technology," the report said. It called on governments and employers' and workers' organizations to think about how AI can be used to enhance productivity and job quality.
CNA
20-05-2025
- Science
- CNA
AI poses a bigger threat to women's work, than men's, says report
GENEVA :Jobs traditionally done by women are more vulnerable to the impact of artificial intelligence than those done by men, especially in high-income countries, a report by the United Nations' International Labour Organization showed on Tuesday. It found 9.6 per cent of traditionally female jobs were set to be transformed compared with 3.5 per cent of those carried out by men as AI increasingly takes on administrative tasks and transforms clerical jobs, such as secretarial work. Human involvement will still be required for many tasks - and roles are more likely to be radically changed rather than eliminated, the report said. Jobs in the media, software and finance-related roles are also at the forefront of change as generative AI expands its learning abilities. "We stress that such exposure does not imply the immediate automation of an entire occupation, but rather the potential for a large share of its current tasks to be performed using this technology," the report said. It called on governments and employers' and workers' organisations to think about how AI can be used to enhance productivity and job quality.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI poses a bigger threat to women's work, than men's, says report
By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA (Reuters) -Jobs traditionally done by women are more vulnerable to the impact of artificial intelligence than those done by men, especially in high-income countries, a report by the United Nations' International Labour Organization showed on Tuesday. It found 9.6% of traditionally female jobs were set to be transformed compared with 3.5% of those carried out by men as AI increasingly takes on administrative tasks and transforms clerical jobs, such as secretarial work. Human involvement will still be required for many tasks - and roles are more likely to be radically changed rather than eliminated, the report said. Jobs in the media, software and finance-related roles are also at the forefront of change as generative AI expands its learning abilities. "We stress that such exposure does not imply the immediate automation of an entire occupation, but rather the potential for a large share of its current tasks to be performed using this technology," the report said. It called on governments and employers' and workers' organisations to think about how AI can be used to enhance productivity and job quality.
