Protecting Women Online, The Open University

Project Team:

Professor Miriam Fernandez
Principle Investigator

Dr. Ángel Pavón-Pérez
Co-Investigator

Daniele Quercia
Contributor, Nokia Bell Labs

Damiano Giallongo
PhD Student, Politecnico di Torino

Davide Ghia
PhD Student, Politecnico di Torino

Penny East
CEO, Fawcett Society

Maryam Yaqub
AI Strategist, Fawcett Society

Project Overview:

Gender inequality remains a persistent structural feature of the labour market, shaping women’s lifetime earnings and economic security. As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms organisational practices, there is a risk that existing disparities may be unintentionally amplified, whether through task automation, unequal access to upskilling opportunities, or bias in algorithmic decision-making. It is therefore vital that AI is developed and deployed in ways that reduce, rather than exacerbate, this longstanding problem.

This project brought together the Centre for Protecting Women Online at the Open University (UK), Fawcett Society (UK), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), and NokiaBell Labs (UK), to examine the exposure of different occupations to AI-driven innovation. The project aimed to inform evidence-based debate and contribute to discussions on pay gap action plans where AI is an increasingly significant factor. By identifying differences across male and female-dominated occupations, this work supports recommendations to mitigate the risk of reinforcing gender inequalities in the labour market.