Objectives

In June of 2026, the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls will present its next report to the Human Rights Council on the digital space and artificial intelligence’s existing and potential impact on substantive gender equality. The Working Group has issued a call for inputs from diverse stakeholders. To support the report preparation, the Working Group will be undertaking six regional consultations with civil society organisations and actors. The aim of the regional consultations is to:

1) Develop a comprehensive understanding of the impact of AI and digital technologies in each region on gender equality;

2) Identify concerns and challenges in relation to discrimination against women and girls arising from the development and use of AI systems; and

3) Identify emerging good practices and opportunities in relation to the impact of AI and digital technologies on gender equality in each region.The regional consultations complement information received from the written call for inputs as well as bilateral discussions held with industry representatives and other stakeholders.

Conference Review

On December 12, 2025, the consultation meeting of the Working Group was held online. Lu Haina, Member of the UN Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Girls (Asia-Pacific Region), Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of the Law School of Renmin University of China, and Director of the Human Rights Research Center of Renmin University of China, presided over the speeches and discussions of the meeting.

Claudia Flores, Chair of the UN Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Girls; the team from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including Ilona and/or Jasmine, Macarena and Amalia; consultant Sheetal; Megan from the Yale University team; as well as many representatives from the social sector and academic circles attended the meeting.

Lu Haina

Member of the UN Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Girls (Asia-Pacific Region)

Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Law School of Renmin University of China

Director of the Human Rights Center of Renmin University of China

At the meeting, Zhang Jiyu, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Law School of Renmin University of China and Executive Director of the Renmin Law and Technology Institute, together with more than a dozen experts from universities including Utrecht University, the University of South Wales and the University of Tokyo, as well as organizations such as Women's Peace Network, Freedom Forum Nepal, Digital Futures Lab and Digital Rights Foundation, delivered speeches on the topic of artificial intelligence and gender equality in the Asia-Pacific region. They conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on how to address the negative impacts of artificial intelligence on gender equality, as well as how to leverage the positive role of artificial intelligence and empower gender equality, providing support for the report of the UN Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Girls.

Zhang Jiyu

Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Law School of Renmin University of China

Executive Director of the Renmin Law and Technology Institute