File No.16-1602/4/2024-PMR Cell (NCW) National Commission for Women

File No.16-1602/4/2024-PMR Cell (NCW) National Commission for Women

The National Commission for Women has identified the Topics/Thrust Areas, listed below for organizing Seminars for the F.Y. 2024-25.

Topics for Seminar –
1. Harnessing AI Opportunities for Women.
2. Women in Unorganised Sector.

Concept Note: Harnessing AI Opportunities for Women –

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) presents immense potential for transforming society in numerous ways. By embracing AI, women gain the ability to actively contribute to shaping the trajectory of technological advancement. This fosters diversity and inclusivity within the tech
industry, ensuring that AI development reflects the needs and viewpoints of all individuals. Equipping women with AI knowledge creates a more equitable landscape, enabling them to compete on equal footing. Equipping women with AI knowledge creates a more equitable
playing field, essential for progress. It’s vital to delve into historical contexts, address present obstacles, and anticipate future trends to empower women in AI.

Objectives –

The aim is to address concerns and challenges specific to women’s engagement with AI, while
also exploring available safeguards for their protection.
➢ It is through collaborative discussions the primary objective of conducting a seminar on ‘AI opportunities for women’ is to bridge the knowledge gap, empower women to participate meaningfully in the AI revolution.
➢ By offering accessible resources and comprehensive information, the seminar will equip women with a solid understanding of AI fundamentals, its diverse applications, and its far-reaching societal implications.
➢ Aims to create awareness and usage of the AI powered applications and tools in workspace and as well as home space in efficient manner.
➢ The Commission endeavors to host seminars focused on harnessing AI opportunities for women, with the goal of convening diverse stakeholders from various regions.
➢ These seminars will serve as platforms for acknowledging opportunities and threats associated with AI utilization.

Ultimately, it strives to empower women to seize the opportunities presented by AI and become influential agents of change in their respective fields.

THEMATIC SESSIONS :-

The seminar will include Technical/Panel sessions on the following Broad Themes:
➢ Opportunities & Threats
➢ Cyber Security
➢ Digital Literacy
➢ Available Safeguards.
➢ Integrating AI Opportunities for Women engaged in remote work/freelancing
➢ Application of AI across professions
➢ Courses available to enhance the usage of AI
➢ Navigating Career Pathways in AI
➢ Empowering the Next Generation

These themes can serve as focal points for discussions, presentations, workshops, and networking activities within the seminar, providing participants with valuable insights, resources, and opportunities for engagement and collaboration.

Concept Note: Women in Unorganized Sector –

The term unorganized worker has been defined under the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, as a home-based worker, self-employed worker or a wage worker in the unorganized sector and includes a worker in the organized sector who is not covered by any of
the Acts mentioned in Schedule-II of Act. Organized sector workers are distinguished by regular salaried jobs with well-defined terms and conditions of employment, clear-cut rights and obligations and fairly comprehensive social security protection. The unorganized sector, on
the other hand, has no such clear-cut employer-employee relationships and lacks most forms of social protection. Having no fixed employer, these workers are casual, contractual, migrant, home based, own-account workers who attempt to earn a living from whatever meager assets and skills they possess. The nature of women’s work ranges from wage employment or self employment, family labour and piece rated work. Women workers in urban unorganized sector are engaged in activities like domestic work, construction work, small trades like brick making, coir and basket weaving, household industries, beedi rolling, agarbatti making, papad making, tailoring, and embroidery work etc. In rural unorganized sector women are engaged in agricultural activities, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries etc.

Objectives:-

The seminar aims to raise awareness about the various hardships, barriers and challenges faced by ‘Women in Unorganized Sector’ in their daily lives and to look into long-term sustainable solutions that empower and improve the way of living.

The objectives are as follow :

(i) Regional Stakeholder Engagement: To bring different stakeholders from specific region/state wherein the seminar is being conducted. This includes establishing module and data repository focused on the prominent issues and challenges specific to that particular
region/state. Emphasis will be placed on at least one profession covered within the ‘Unorganized Sector’ of that region. The occupation or Nature of work selected and being proposed under ‘unorganized Sector’ requires a well-founded rationale.

(ii) Sharing Best Practices and Experiences: To provide regional platform to all the stakeholders for sharing experiences, best practices, acknowledging the existing gaps and challenges, views and ideas pertaining to address concerns/challenges and barriers faced by women in unorganized sector.

(iii) Government Welfare Scheme Awareness: To raise awareness about the government welfare schemes available for women working in the unorganized sector. This includes both general schemes and those specific to the occupation or nature of work undertaken in each
state or region. By disseminating information about available support systems, the seminar aims to empower women with the knowledge to access resources and assistance effectively.