Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Women’s Empowerment: A Legal Analysis
Nikhil Kumar Nad
DOI:
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to accelerate women’s empowerment by enhancing access to education, healthcare, employment, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and public safety. However, the same technology also presents significant legal, ethical, and social challenges, including algorithmic bias, digital exclusion, privacy violations, cybersecurity threats, and underrepresentation of women in AI development. This paper critically examines the dual impact of AI on women’s empowerment from a legal perspective, with particular emphasis on the Indian regulatory framework. Employing a doctrinal research methodology based on secondary sources, the study analyses constitutional provisions, statutory laws, government policies, judicial pronouncements, and international reports relating to AI governance and gender equality. It evaluates the role of the Constitution of India, the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and various policy initiatives in safeguarding women’s rights in the digital era. The paper further discusses landmark judicial decisions that reinforce equality, privacy, and women’s access to justice in technology-driven environments. While AI offers unprecedented opportunities to reduce gender disparities and strengthen socio-economic participation, its benefits cannot be fully realized without transparent, accountable, and gender-responsive governance. The study concludes that inclusive AI development, stronger legal safeguards, ethical regulatory mechanisms, digital literacy, and greater participation of women in AI design and policymaking are essential to ensuring that AI functions as a tool for substantive equality rather than reinforcing existing structural inequalities. The paper advocates a rights-based and human-centric approach to AI governance that aligns technological innovation with constitutional values and gender justice.