“AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future”
23rd April 2026
Online
On 23 April 2026, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will host a global online webinar to mark International Girls in ICT Day, part of the worldwide initiative led by the International Telecommunication Union under the 2026 theme “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future”.
This event aims to inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in technology and highlighting how artificial intelligence can either reinforce or reduce existing inequalities.
Evidence from FAO flagship publications, the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems and The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems, shows that when women have equal access to resources, they adopt agricultural technologies at the same rate as men. However, persistent structural barriers—ranging from limited access to inputs and services to digital exclusion—continue to constrain their productivity and opportunities.
These disparities are even more pronounced for girls and young women, particularly in rural contexts, where gaps in connectivity, digital skills and social norms limit participation in emerging technology sectors.
Opening the session, Henry van Burgsteden, Senior Innovation Officer at FAO, will highlight the transformative role of digital innovation and AI in shaping more inclusive agrifood systems. Moderated by Alessia Correani, the discussion will bring together diverse perspectives from policy, innovation and youth engagement.
Panelists include Huda Alsahi, Social Policy Officer at FAO, who will present insights on the status of young women in the digital innovation ecosystem, alongside Isabella Chancahuana Castillo, representing youth leadership and innovation under the WFF and Huawei, and Buyiswa Twala, Chief Executive Officer Agrigreat Soiltech&Envirocare, who will share her experience in building a technology-driven agribusiness leveraging AI tools.
Drawing on FAO’s Digital Agriculture and AI Innovation Roadmap, the event underscores that AI is becoming a key enabler of efficiency, resilience and sustainability in agrifood systems. However, without deliberate action, the expansion of digital technologies risks reproducing existing gender inequalities, particularly where women and girls remain underrepresented in technology design and decision-making processes.
Aligned with the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, the event positions the empowerment of girls in ICT not only as a matter of equity, but as a strategic investment in the future of agrifood systems. By connecting global policy discussions with lived experiences, FAO contributes to the broader ITU initiative by ensuring that the voices of girls and young women inform digital innovation pathways and governance frameworks.
Through this dialogue, the event reaffirms a central message: achieving inclusive digital transformation requires not only access to technology, but the active participation of girls in shaping it.