As AI-enabled technologies become more prevalent, the UN system is beginning to leverage the latest digital tools to make gender equality a reality.
As a middle-income region with widespread internet coverage and relatively high levels of digital literacy, Southeast Asia is fertile ground for AI-enabled development. Here are three examples of initiatives that could benefit the personal and professional lives of many women in the coming years.
Philippines: Training entrepreneurs in remote areas
The Philippines is made up of an archipelago of thousands of islands, which are expensive and difficult to access from urban centers. This means that residents of remote islands often do not fully benefit from the training opportunities provided by the UN and its partners.
However, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has been using the latest AI chatbot to support business owners, especially female entrepreneurs, since December 2023.
“In most cases, instructors no longer need to travel to remote islands or remote villages in the mountains,” says ILO technical expert Hideki Kagohashi. “The trainer is a mobile phone chatbot.”
On Siargao Island, this chatbot provides technical advice to women selling coconut products and helps female entrepreneurs create digital marketing posts for Facebook, reducing the time required for daily posting from several hours to just 10~ Significantly shortened to 20 minutes.
“Previously, entrepreneurs often stopped publishing because it took too much time over too long a period of time to get demonstrable results,” explains Kagohashi. “But now with generative AI, we can quickly create higher quality content with relevant photos or videos, a wider variety of posts each day, complete with audience targeting for tone and content to increase online engagement and increase sales.” “You can.”
Although the project is still in the pilot phase, ILO and partners plan to scale up AI-enabled coaching to at least 15,000 small and medium-sized enterprises across the country over the next three years.
UNFPA Thailand
High school students in Phuket, Thailand, are using a UNFPA-supported chatbot.
Thailand: Protection of vulnerable women and girls
The AI-powered SoSafe platform has been providing Thai women with personalized advice on social issues including unintended pregnancy, sexual harassment and domestic violence for about a year. Primarily used by women and girls in vulnerable situations, SoSafe includes verified information on social benefits and rights for young people, women and older people.
The impact has been noticeable. SoSafe has reached 600,000 users across 14 pilot sites, improved communication between affected women and support services, and more than 1,000 cases of domestic violence have been reported to authorities.
Delivered by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency and other partners, the platform detects keywords and provides automated responses to provide timely support to users. Information about SoSafe is sourced from government databases and trustworthy sources to ensure you receive accurate information.
UNDP Indonesia
Village leaders in Indonesia are testing STRIVE, a UNDP-supported AI tool.
Indonesia: A stronger voice from the community
In Indonesia’s 75,000 villages, decisions tend to be made by middle-aged men, who are more likely to attend public discussions and meetings.
“Participation in village meetings is dominated by men, and public voting can stifle public debate by stigmatizing those who disagree with the village headman,” explains Dhany Oktaviany, project manager at the Social Innovation Platform (SIP). .
SIP, a project run by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to support Indonesian Village Ministry, aims to change this situation. As part of SIP, AI-enabled digital tools collect villagers’ aspirations and generate recommendations for subsequent village planning.
The application allows towns to send their ideas in a variety of ways, from photos and videos to text and audio. You can also submit ideas anonymously to express different perspectives.
united nations reform
“Across the Asia-Pacific region, we are working to build the capacity of the UN system to leverage the latest technology trends and thereby accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” said David McLachlan-Karr, Asia-Pacific Region. The director in charge says: United Nations Development Coordination Office. “These projects are excellent examples of technological innovation at the United Nations, which is central to the Secretary-General’s reform agenda to make the United Nations more relevant to the needs of the 21st century.”
