“More than 40% of startups have zero women on their boards.”
After her graduate studies, Gülser Canıvar-Corat led numerous development projects around the world. From 2004 to 2020, she served as UNESCO’s Director of Gender Equality and later founded the NoBias AI? platform.
During your tenure, UNESCO became a recognized leader in promoting gender equality. How did you approach this sometimes controversial subject?
My appointment was the result of an unusual mid-career recruitment. Through my experience in international development, I had learned how to build coalitions, navigate bureaucratic challenges, and discuss gender bias with different audiences.
When I arrived at UNESCO headquarters in 2004, I spent several months consulting representatives of the organization’s 195 member states and senior staff before proposing gender equality as a global priority. That groundwork proved essential in securing support. UNESCO remains the only UN organization with gender equality as one of its two global priorities.
What inspired you to found NoBias AI?
I was among the first to recognize how pervasive gender bias was in early algorithms. While researching the digital gender gap in 2017 and 2018, I found that many digital assistants reflected stereotypical views of women. At the time, this was often explained as a consequence of training algorithms on human-generated data.
When large language models emerged, I observed that bias remained embedded in these systems despite advances in training methods. Through NoBias AI?, I advocate a Machine Reasoning approach in which data loses its primary driver status, to be replaced by neuro-symbolic and logical inference engines and various specialized knowledge bases.
What recommendations do you have for RC entrepreneurs who want to avoid gender bias in their ventures?
Awareness is the first step. Never lose sight of the fact that women make up 51% of humanity. If women are among your target users, involve them in the design process from the beginning.
In Bangladesh, it took me months to convince male engineers working on a flood-prevention project to talk to women about how they cope with seasonal flooding. They were so amazed by how much floods affect women that they reconfigured their system.
What role can boards of directors and advisory boards play?
A crucial one. Even though many countries now have regulations for women’s representation on Boards, more than 40% of startups still have no women on their boards. Among smaller AI companies, 62% have allmale boards.
When women and other underrepresented groups are absent from leadership, organizations lose valuable perspectives on ethics, safety, and equity. This is not only a question of representation but also of performance. Research consistently shows that companies with substantial female representation on their boards tend to be more profitable and more resilient.
The idea of the CEO as a lone heroic figure is archaic. Successful companies are built by diverse teams that challenge assumptions and broaden perspectives. My advice to RC entrepreneurs is simple: value diversity.
