The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Economy
that women are able to play in the economy, politics and
society?
An important question to consider is whether femaledominated
or male-dominated professions are more
susceptible to automation. The Forum’s Future of Jobs
report indicates that significant job losses are likely to
span both types. While there has tended to be more
unemployment due to automation in sectors in which
men dominate such as manufacturing, construction
and installation, the increasing capabilities of artificial
intelligence and the ability to digitize tasks in service
industries indicate that a wide range of jobs, from
positions at call centres in emerging markets (the source
of livelihoods for large numbers of young female workers
who are the first in their families to work) to retail and
administrative roles in developed economies (a key
employer for lower-middle class women), are at risk.
Losing a job has negative effects in many circumstances,
but the cumulative effect of significant losses across whole
job categories that have traditionally given women access
to the labour market is a critical concern. Specifically, it will
put at risk single-income households headed by low-skilled
women, depress total earnings in two-income families, and
widen the already-troubling gender gap around the world.
But what about new roles and job categories? What new
opportunities could exist for women in a labour market
transformed by the fourth industrial revolution? While it
is difficult to map the competencies and skills expected
in industries not yet created, we can reasonably assume
that demand will increase for skills that enable workers to
design, build and work alongside technological systems,
or in areas that fill the gaps left by these technological
innovations.
Because men still tend to dominate computer science,
mathematical and engineering professions, increased
demand for specialized technical skills may exacerbate
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