Tue Jan 21 19:20:00 IST 2025: ## Indian Leader Highlights Women’s Economic Power and AI’s Impact at Davos

**Davos, Switzerland** – Former Indian Union Minister Smriti Irani, head of the newly launched Alliance for Global Good-Gender Equity and Equality (AGG-GEE), used her platform at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to spotlight the significant economic contributions of women and the potential disruption of artificial intelligence (AI) on their employment.

Irani emphasized the need to shift the narrative from solely focusing on India’s internal issues to highlighting the global leadership role of Indian women in areas like inclusion, climate change, and health innovation. She stressed that India’s experience in promoting gender equity is being shared internationally through collaborations with organizations like the World Bank, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization.

Highlighting the substantial economic power of women, Irani cited data showing women currently control $20 trillion in global consumption and are projected to control 50 percent of the world’s wealth in the next five years. She argued that focusing on enhancing women’s capital capacity is crucial for improving their safety and well-being, both at home and in the workplace, moving beyond a purely philanthropic approach.

Irani also raised concerns about the potential impact of AI-driven automation on women’s employment. She noted that 70 percent of jobs at risk from automation are currently held by women, mostly in entry-level positions. She urged policymakers and companies to develop strategies to address this potential displacement of a significant portion of the global workforce. Furthermore, she warned of the upcoming impact of AI agents, a more advanced form of AI, which will likely exacerbate job displacement. She emphasized that this is not just a women’s issue but one with serious implications for global economies, particularly developing nations.

Finally, Irani advocated for a more holistic view of productivity, urging a focus on the link between women’s health and economic output. She cited data showing a $30 return for every dollar invested in maternal health and warned that neglecting health innovations for women will lead to the loss of trillions of dollars in global economic productivity. She pledged to focus on increasing investment in health innovation, particularly for women.

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