By Dr. Alexandra Urban, Coursera
As we prepare to celebrate International Women’s Day, I’m excited to share new Coursera research, highlighting the progress that has been made over the last year to narrow the gender gap in key skill domains, including Generative AI (GenAI) and essential human competencies like Critical Thinking.
GenAI will accelerate the global economy and transform work, with IDC research suggesting it could increase the world’s wealth by as much as USD$22.3 trillion by 2030. If these potential economic gains are to be distributed more fairly, institutions must ensure that all individuals are equipped with the skills needed to harness these emerging technologies.
Our One Year Later: The Gender Gap in GenAI report, coming one year after Coursera’s original Gender Gap in GenAI analysis, is designed to examine where we are successfully narrowing gender gaps in the key skill areas and why.
Key findings from the report include:
- One year after Coursera’s original Gender Gap in GenAI analysis, the data shows clear and encouraging signs of progress.
- Although women remain underrepresented in GenAI learning globally, the gender gap is clearly narrowing. Women’s share of total GenAI enrollments rose from 32% in 2024 to 36% in 2025.
- For enterprise learners, women represented 36% of GenAI enrollments on Coursera in 2024 and 42% in 2025. This progress is particularly encouraging given the rapid growth of GenAI participation across all demographics, indicating that women’s engagement with the technology is accelerating faster than that of their male peers.
- Though the global gap is narrowing, there are significant regional and local differences in uptake of GenAI skills by gender.
- Latin American nations have recorded a doubling in its share of GenAI enrollments on Coursera from female learners, year-over-year. Standout performers include Peru (+14.5 percentage points year-on-year), Mexico (+5.3 percentage points), and Colombia (+4.5 percentage points).
- Asia Pacific nations have also consistently narrowed GenAI gender gaps on Coursera. Uzbekistan is a global standout, having recorded an 8.8 percentage point increase in their share of enrollments from female learners.
- India, Coursera’s biggest market for GenAI enrollments globally, has recorded a 2.2 percentage point increase, while Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines have also increased their share of female enrollments in GenAI courses year-over-year.
- However, in many of the English-speaking and economically-developed countries, men’s enrollments are growing more quickly.
- In the United States (-0.9 percentage points), Canada (-1.0 percentage point), the United Kingdom (-1.8 percentage points), Spain (-1.1 percentage points), and Germany (-0.2% percentage points), women represent a smaller share of total GenAI enrollments in 2025 than 2024.
- Once the enrollment barrier is cleared, female learners often demonstrate higher levels of persistence in GenAI learning.
- Across a meaningful minority of countries, women are more likely than men to complete GenAI courses once they enroll, demonstrating strong persistence and commitment to these pressing new skills.
- Across the top five countries for GenAI enrollments, women are 1.5 times more likely to complete GenAI courses than their male counterparts, once enrolled.
- These patterns suggest that the primary barrier for women in GenAI is often entry, not capability or motivation, especially in Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Once engaged, women frequently persist at equal or higher rates than men, reinforcing the importance of removing initial barriers to participation.
Coursera’s platform data indicates that courses which frame GenAI as an immediately useful tool for productivity and problem-solving receive higher shares of enrollments from female learners. Top examples include:
The report also offers recommendations for institutions seeking to accelerate progress towards equitable access to skills. These include:
- Design GenAI courses for beginners that feature real-world application.
- Ensure visible representation and inclusive pedagogy across educational modalities.
- Expand access through policy, partnerships, and localization.
- Reinforce participation through social validation and diverse role models.
- Pair GenAI skills with durable human capabilities like Critical Thinking.
We hope that this report offers the data and strategies needed to reach greater inclusivity and retention. Across educators, businesses, and governments, we all have a role to play in creating more equitable learning experiences. By designing with our audience in mind, we can ensure that women of all backgrounds, experiences, and geographies, can upskill, persist, and thrive in the GenAI economy.
You can access the One Year Later: The Gender Gap in GenAI report here.
View the original article and our Inspiration here