More than 200 participants, 21 economies, 300 events during the China Year, and the Shanghai Initiative for Women’s Empowerment.

The 2026 APEC Women and the Economy Forum opened in Shanghai. The main theme — expanding women’s economic opportunities in the era of artificial intelligence.

The two-day ministerial-level event is held under the motto “Empowering Women for Shared Prosperity in the Asia-Pacific Region”. It has attracted more than 200 participants from APEC member economies.

High-ranking officials, experts, scholars and business representatives are discussing women’s participation in digital transformation, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Delegates noted: involving women in all sectors and industries is no longer a social issue — it is a growth strategy.

Michelle O’Byrne, Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, said: “We know that when women can fully participate in the economy, it grows better, countries develop better, and regions develop better. When we can bring economies together to share ideas and build capacity, then we achieve the best outcomes. I’m a big supporter of the multilateral system and the relationships that have led to events like this.”

Currently, women make up less than a third of the world’s researchers. Conference participants note: closing this gender gap is not only a matter of fairness, but also a critical aspect of the quality, relevance and impact of science, technology and innovation.

Many pointed to challenges related to new and emerging technologies. Their impact on gender equality cannot be ignored.

Kaevkamol Pitakdumrongkit, Executive Director of the International Secretariat of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, explained: “As we know, AI models have bias, or algorithms can be biased towards certain segments of society. Women can participate in the discussion to help develop AI, as well as in the implementation of AI for public use, leaving no one behind.”

Maziah Che Yusoff, Secretary-General of Malaysia’s Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, added: “We are indeed ready to work in non-traditional sectors. We, women, also participate in the green economy, in the high-tech economy. And today we are talking about artificial intelligence and technology-oriented sectors. We must not only participate, but we hope that women will one day be able to set the direction of development.”

The forum is expected to present the APEC Shanghai Initiative for Women’s Economic Empowerment. It will offer new ideas and practical recommendations for promoting women’s development in the region.

During the 2026 APEC “China Year”, about 300 events are planned in various Chinese cities. The culmination will be the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. It is scheduled for November in the technology hub of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, southern China.

Women are not passive recipients of technology. They create it, criticize it and steer it. When AI algorithms are trained on data created without considering half the population, system errors are inevitable. The Shanghai Forum is not just a meeting of diplomats. It is an attempt to rewrite the rules of the digital world. To involve women in the code, in the data, in governance. Because the economy of the future will not be fair if it is built by only one force. And the Shanghai Initiative is not a document. It is a claim for a reboot. The only question is who will be first — technology or humanity.