By Dr. Alexandra Urban, Learning Science Research Lead, Coursera
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I’m pleased to introduce a new Coursera playbook, exploring actionable techniques for closing the current gender gap in Generative AI (GenAI) skills by identifying strategies to empower more women to harness GenAI.
Despite GenAI’s increasing importance across workplaces worldwide, women represent only 32% of enrollments in the field on Coursera, risking reinforcing existing inequities in the technology’s development and application. Bridging this gap is essential to ensure a more inclusive future, and a more equitable workforce.
Our Closing the Gender Gap in GenAI Skills playbook outlines key barriers preventing women from enrolling in GenAI courses, including:
- Limited time and unclear guidelines hinder skill adoption – Many women cite “lack of time” as their top reason for discontinuing STEM courses, reflecting the frequent challenge of balancing caregiving and work responsibilities. Additionally, uncertainty around how AI and GenAI applies to careers can lead to hesitation. On Coursera, flexible learning models and AI-powered coaching are helping to bridge these gaps.
- Perceived lack of relevance – Only 36% of women believe GenAI can advance their careers, compared to 45% of men. This perception gap discourages upskilling. Women are more likely to engage when GenAI’s relevance is contextualized through practical applications in healthcare, education, and tasks from our daily lives. Real-world case studies and interdisciplinary GenAI courses have proven effective in increasing participation and completion rates.
- Confidence gaps reduce persistence – Self-efficacy plays a crucial role in learning outcomes. Women often hesitate to engage in GenAI courses due to a lack of confidence, even when they possess the necessary skills. On Coursera, women are six times more likely to enroll in beginner-level GenAI courses than intermediate ones, indicating a preference for structured, accessible entry points.
Interventions that provide personalized learning support, structured milestones, and mentorship opportunities have been shown to improve persistence and completion rates among female learners.
The playbook also highlights countries where the gender gap in GenAI training is smallest and largest. We find that:
- The gap is lowest in emerging markets across Europe and Latin America. Uzbekistan has achieved the most equitable uptake of GenAI training: there, female learners represent 49.7% of overall GenAI enrollments. Ecuador (47.7% female learners), Czech Republic (44.9%), and Colombia (41.8%) also surpass female enrolment rates of 40% across our GenAI portfolio.
- The gap is highest in Middle Eastern and Asian markets. Pakistan has the world’s highest GenAI enrollment gap on Coursera, with women representing only 15.9% of the country’s GenAI learner cohort. Egypt (22.2% female enrolments), Israel (23.4%), and the United Arab Emirates (23.8%) are also among the nations with the largest GenAI gender gaps.
Merve Hickok, President & Policy Director, Center for AI and Digital Policy and Lecturer, University of Michigan, said: “While it’s encouraging to see so many individuals embracing GenAI skills, we must bridge the gender gap in this field. We need diverse voices to shape how these machine learning systems are designed, deployed, and used ethically and responsibly. Organizations must ensure that women have a seat at the table to influence these powerful technologies.”
We hope that this playbook provides data-driven strategies for educators, businesses, and governments to foster greater inclusivity in GenAI learning. By designing equitable learning environments, we can ensure that all women – irrespective of their background, experience, or location – can upskill, persist, and thrive in the GenAI economy.
You can access our Closing the Gender Gap in GenAI Skills playbook here.
