In a major boost for women’s participation in technology, the South Asian Chapter of Women’s for Ethical AI (W4EAI) under UNESCO was officially inaugurated at Amritapuri. The announcement marked the conclusion of a four-day International Conference on Gender and Technology, jointly organized by UNESCO and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

The formal declaration was made in the presence of UNESCO Representative Gabriela Ramos, Prof. Eunsong Kim, Chief of SHS Section, UNESCO South Asia Region, and Dr. Ramadevi Lanka. Led by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham—which holds the UNESCO Chair for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment—the newly formed South Asian Chapter aims to enhance women’s influence in the digital technology sphere. The initiative is expected to significantly contribute to AI development by bringing together women from industries, governments, and civil society across South Asia.

Dr. Justin Paul graced the closing ceremony as the distinguished guest. Other key attendees included Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, President of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh, University Provost, Dr. Bhavani Rao, Dean of the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Dr. Krishnashree Achuthan, Dean of PG Programs at the School of Engineering, Gayathri Manikutty, Dr. Unnikrishnan Radhakrishnan, Dr. B.S. Manoj, Chair of the IEEE Kerala Chapter, and Rachael Akohonae.

The conference was backed by the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) and the SSIT Kerala Chapter as primary sponsors. The four-day event featured around 50 experts who led discussions, lectures, a mega hackathon, classes, and exhibitions, creating a vibrant platform for innovation at Amritapuri.