The Road to Gender Parity by 2030: An Editor's Perspective

Reflecting on the recent anniversary event of the Equity 2030 Alliance at UNGA79, I am filled with both hope and urgency. The progress we’ve made in advancing gender equity is real, but the path ahead remains fraught with challenges. As the editor of WAIV Magazine and a long-time advocate of equity for women in healthcare and technology, I’ve witnessed firsthand the evolution of this struggle. Today, we stand at a pivotal moment, particularly as we confront the rapidly expanding influence of artificial intelligence.

Globally, the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields is a glaring issue. According to the 2024 SDG Gender Index, only 22% of professionals in AI are women, while in healthcare, despite women comprising the majority of the workforce, they hold only 25% of senior roles. This lack of representation is symptomatic of broader structural inequalities that extend across all sectors of society.

These disparities are not just numbers—they reflect the lived realities of countless women, including my own journey. In medical education and healthcare, I’ve often been the only woman in the room, watching my ideas dismissed or credited to male colleagues. These experiences, as frustrating as they were, fueled my determination to drive change. Now, as we navigate the AI revolution, I see alarming parallels. The biases and barriers that have long plagued healthcare and technology are being encoded into our AI systems, threatening to perpetuate and amplify existing inequalities.

Achieving gender parity requires a multifaceted and collaborative effort. The work of initiatives like the Equity 2030 Alliance include policy reforms, educational initiatives, corporate accountability, and grassroots movements. At WAIV Magazine, we are proud to support this mission. By amplifying women’s voices and showcasing their achievements, we aim to inspire the next generation of female leaders in tech and healthcare.

However, representation alone is not enough. We need women in positions of true power—at the helm of decision-making and agenda-setting, in C-suite positions, on boards of directors, and in senior academic roles. The 2024 SDG Gender Index highlights that in only 20% of countries, women hold a significant share of top management positions. Moreover, women-led startups receive just 3% of all global venture capital funding. This data underscores the need for a concerted push towards equitable resource allocation and strategic direction.

Intersectionality must be central to our approach. The challenges faced by a white woman in Silicon Valley differ vastly from those encountered by a woman of color in a developing country. The 2024 SDG Gender Index reports that in many regions, women from marginalized communities experience compounded disadvantages. Our efforts must recognize and address these diverse experiences.

Artificial intelligence, with its transformative potential, is a double-edged sword in this quest for gender parity. On one hand, we’ve seen AI systems replicate and even exacerbate existing biases—recruitment tools that disadvantage women, facial recognition systems that fail on darker skin tones, and language models that reinforce gender stereotypes. On the other hand, AI, if developed with a diverse and inclusive approach, could be a powerful tool to address these issues. Properly designed AI can help identify and mitigate biases in hiring, promotion, and pay; provide access to education and healthcare in underserved communities; and illuminate the root causes of gender inequality.

Reaching gender parity by 2030 is an ambitious goal, but it’s one we must strive to achieve. Key strategies include:

Education and Early Intervention: Inspiring girls to pursue STEM from an early age, challenging stereotypes, and providing role models are critical steps.

Mentorship and Sponsorship Programs: Women in senior positions must mentor and sponsor younger women, providing guidance and opening doors.

Policy Changes and Quota Systems: Quota systems, though controversial, have proven effective in increasing women’s representation in leadership roles.

Corporate Accountability and Transparency: Companies must report on gender pay gaps, representation in leadership, and concrete plans for improvement.

Funding Initiatives for Women-led Startups and Research: We need targeted funding to support women entrepreneurs and researchers, particularly in AI and healthcare.

As a media platform, WAIV Magazine has a crucial role to play. We have the power to shape narratives, challenge stereotypes, and showcase the achievements of women in tech and healthcare. But media alone is not enough. We need advocacy at all levels—from grassroots movements to corporate boardrooms to government policy. And we need to engage men as allies in this fight, recognizing that gender equity benefits all of society.

The road to gender parity by 2030 is challenging, but it’s a challenge we must meet head-on. The costs of inaction are too high—not just for women, but for society as a whole. We cannot build a truly equitable and innovative future if half of our population is left behind. As the editor of WAIV Magazine, I commit to continuing our work in amplifying women’s voices, challenging biases, and pushing for meaningful change in AI and healthcare. But this is not a task for one person or one organization. It requires all of us—regardless of gender, regardless of field—to step up and play our part.

I invite you, our readers, to join this movement. Educate yourselves about gender bias in your field. Mentor a young woman. Challenge discriminatory practices in your workplace. Support women-led initiatives. Together, we can create a future where gender parity is not just a goal, but a reality. The time for change is now. Let’s make it happen.

For more insights and statistics on the gender gap across various sectors, refer to the 2024 SDG Gender Index.