In March 2025, the United States of America(USA) based Coursera Inc., a leading online learning platform, published its report titled “Closing the Gender Gap in GenAI Skills” , offering a strategic roadmap to bridge the gender disparity in Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) (GenAI) enrollments. India has emerged as a global leader in GenAI adoption, recording 1.3 million enrollments in 2024.
- However, the Coursera data reveals that Indian women constitute 40% of all learners but make up only 29.6% of total GenAI enrollments, ranking 2nd globally in female GenAI participation.
- The report highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable access to GenAI opportunities, fostering a more inclusive workforce in the rapidly advancing AI sector.
Highlights of the Report:
i.Gender Disparity: Globally, women account for 32% of total GenAI enrollments, yet in India, their participation is significantly lower at 29.6%, despite making up a larger share (40%) of Coursera’s total learners.
ii.Rapid Growth Among Women: GenAI enrollments from India have surged fourfold, with women showing an impressive 296% growth, surpassing the 191% growth seen among men.
Barriers Limiting Women’s Participation:
i.Confidence Gaps: Women are six times more likely to opt for beginner-level GenAI courses rather than intermediate ones, reflecting a lack of confidence in advancing their skills.
ii.Time Constraints: Despite 90% of Indian women recognizing the importance of GenAI for career growth, only 35% feel adequately prepared to utilize it.
iii.Flexibility in learning is key, as 95% of junior, 96% of mid-management, and 100% of senior women would be more inclined to invest in AI education with employer-backed upskilling programs.
iv.Perceived Lack of Relevance: Women are more engaged when GenAI is linked to real-world applications such as healthcare, education, and creative industries.
v.Few Female Role Models in AI: The report emphasizes that AI courses with female instructors experience a 7% higher female enrollment rate.
Global Insights:
i.Smaller Gaps: The gap is lowest in emerging markets across Europe and Latin America. Uzbekistan has achieved the most equitable uptake of GenAI training: where, women learners represent 49.7% of overall GenAI enrollments.
- Ecuador (47.7%), Czech Republic (44.9%), and Colombia (41.8%) also exceed 40% female enrollment rates in GenAI courses.
ii.Largest Gaps: The gender gap is most in markets across the Middle East and Asia (MEA).
- Pakistan has the highest GenAI enrollment gap on Coursera, with women representing only 15.9% of the country’s GenAI learners.
- Other countries include Egypt (22.2%), Israel (23.4%), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (23.8%).
