Women’s Network Articles
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UN Women urges governments and developers to embed gender equality into AI
The organisation has drawn on research from several studies to highlight the scale of gender bias in artificial intelligence systems and has set out what must change to build a gender-equal digital future UN Women has called on governments and those developing artificial intelligence to embed gender equality and the rights and experiences of women…
More than 50 members of Czech government gender equality council threaten to resign over proposed move from prime minister’s office
Experts on the Czech Government Council for Gender Equality have threatened to resign if the government goes ahead with its proposal to move the council’s agenda from the Office of the Government to the justice ministry. Markéta Kos Mottlová, vice-chair of the Czech Women’s Lobby and member of the council, told the press on 27 May…
Global response to gender-based violence falling ‘dramatically short’, say women leaders
Governments must take urgent action to end gender-based violence by “embedding evidence-based prevention across national systems” and committing “sustained, long-term financing” to scale what works. This is the message of an open letter from All In: Global Leaders for Ending Gender-Based Violence, published to coincide with the Women Deliver conference which took place this week…
Women’s Network news round-up: increase in public perception that gender equality ‘has gone too far’, women in trade policy, and more
Here’s our round-up of some of the stories to have coincided with International Women’s Day on 8 March, or to have come out since, including the finding of a global survey that the majority of people believe gender equality “has gone far enough”; a new framework aimed at promoting gender equality in trade policy; and…
Governments adopt UN agreement on women’s access to justice, following ‘contentious’ vote
Governments meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York last week adopted a set of conclusions aimed at strengthening access to justice for women and girls and advancing gender equality worldwide. The theme of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women was ensuring access to justice for all women and…
UK government launches employer action plans on gender pay gap and menopause support to mark International Women’s Day
UK employers are being encouraged to produce action plans detailing the steps they are taking to reduce their gender pay gap and support women through menopause, as part of new measures introduced by the government in the run-up to International Women’s Day. In a bid to improve gender equality in the workplace, Bridget Phillipson, minister…
Women’s Network news round-up: masculinist discourse a ‘threat to national security’ says French advisory body, and more
Here’s our roundup of women-focused and gender equality news from the last few weeks, including a policy brief that highlights the mental health burden on Indigenous women globally, the finding that gender equality in Europe is “out of reach for another 50 years”, and a report that highlights that more than half a million women…
UK takes ‘whole-of-government’ approach to tackling violence against women and girls in landmark strategy
The UK government has published its much-anticipated strategy on tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), setting out what prime minister Keir Starmer called a “whole-of government, whole-of-society effort” to halve VAWG in a decade. The 91-page policy paper Freedom from violence and abuse: A cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and…
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Discover independent research reports, surveys and in-depth studies from Global Government Forum and knowledge partners, exploring the most important issues facing governments and the public sector. Our research provides practical insights and evidence-based recommendations for senior civil servants, policymakers and public sector leaders. Our reports combine exclusive survey data, expert analysis and interviews with government leaders from around the world to help public sector organisations improve performance, inform policy and deliver better outcomes for citizens.
Empowering Public Servants to Make Confident, Informed Decisions with Data and AI
Governments around the world are working hard to extract – and act upon – the insights held in their vast data stores, and to embrace AI and the promise it holds for innovation and transformation. At the same time, economic pressures and constrained budgets are compelling public servants to do more with fewer resources, while governments are called to respond quickly and effectively to complex challenges.
Against this backdrop, data and AI can help those working in government both to streamline their workflows and make fast, informed decisions. This in turn drives efficiency and can unlock productivity gains – and ultimately lead to improved performance and better services for citizens.
Global Government Forum surveyed over 600 civil servants worldwide to understand how data and AI are being used in government decision-making and where there are further challenges and opportunities.
Read this report for insight into how governments are using data and AI in decision-making today and the potential for the future; the major challenges to using data and AI in decision-making and how to overcome them; and how AI agents can be used in decision-making.
The report includes examples of data and AI in decision-making from countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the US, and more.
(Published September 2025)
Making Government Work: Five Pillars of a Modern, Effective Civil Service
Around the world, governments are dealing with substantial challenges – from economic stagnation to the transition to net zero, military conflicts and cyber threats. Governments are also grappling with shifting geopolitics and the rise of populism – and all of these factors are set against the emergence of new technologies, including generative AI, which have the potential to fundamentally transform every aspect of society, but which also pose huge ethical, security and regulatory questions for the public sector.
The Making Government Work: Five pillars of a modern, effective civil service report was undertaken to help identify the key characteristics needed in a modern public service, with priorities ranging across leadership, digital service delivery, workforce development, cross-departmental integration, and citizen trust.
This report has been covered by publications around the world including the Financial Times, BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, Ottawa Citizen, Fed Manager, the Mandarin and the i newspaper.
(Published August 2024)
The Future of the Finance Ministry
From setting tax rates and financial regulations that create the ground rules for national economies, to allocating – and tracking – spending for public services, finance ministries occupy an essential role at the centre of government. Geopolitical crises have reinforced the importance of finance ministries, as they tackle both immediate shocks and long-term trends such as ageing populations, the digital transition, and the impact of moves to net zero.
Against this backdrop, this global research explores what the future finance ministry looks like and how to prepare for it.
Based on interviews with 10 senior leaders from finance ministries – led by John McCarthy, chief economist in Ireland’s Department of Finance, working with Ian Hall, editor, Global Government Finance, and Richard Johnstone, executive editor, Global Government Forum – the study identifies four key themes: the evolving role of the finance ministry in response to uncertainty; the shift to more flexible finance systems that support outcomes; digital transformation and the growth of AI; and the battle for talent and trust.
(Published May 2026)
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