Combating Gender Bias in Artificial Intelligence and Sciences: A Recommendation of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe
— OENDDF Communiqué, by Christine Monty, President of OENDDF
In brief: on 9 April 2025, the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CONF/AG(2025)REC3 on « Combating gender bias and promoting women’s rights in artificial intelligence and Sciences », put forward in part by OENDDF. The text calls on States and AI developers for more diverse teams, greater data transparency, and regular checks to counter gender stereotypes reproduced by algorithms.
On 9 April 2025, the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) of the Council of Europe adopted, by written procedure following its presentation at the General Assembly, Recommendation CONF/AG(2025)REC3 on « Combating gender bias and promoting women’s rights in artificial intelligence and Sciences ». The European Observatory for Non-Discrimination and Fundamental Rights (OENDDF) shares this Recommendation, one of the organisations behind its initiative.
The Recommendation affirms that artificial intelligence reproduces gender stereotypes and biases in the writing of algorithmic codes, distorting equality between genders. It calls on member States and Council of Europe bodies to ensure: diversely composed AI development teams; transparency and accountability on the part of developers and their organisations regarding data collection and coding methods; balanced data collection representative of the diversity of society; regular testing and evaluation of AI models at every stage of development, with corrective measures; education and awareness-raising for developers and the public; better access for girls and marginalised groups to the sciences, AI professions and decision-making positions; and, for victims of AI-related discrimination, access to a non-stereotyped justice system, with the burden of proof placed on those responsible for the design of the AI.
📄 Download the full text of the Recommendation (PDF)
Recommendation on the initiative of:
- University Women of Europe, Anne Bergheim-Nègre, former Vice-President of the Conference of INGOs in charge of Gender Equality
- Association des Femmes de l’Europe Méridionale, Catherine-Sophie Dimitroulias, former Vice-President of the Conference of INGOs
- European Observatory for Non-Discrimination and Fundamental Rights, Christine Monty, President
- Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights of the Conference of INGOs, Council of Europe, Gilbert Flam, Chairman, League against Racism and Anti-Semitism
Communiqué prepared by Christine Monty for the European Observatory for Non-Discrimination and Fundamental Rights (OENDDF) — September 2026.
Any partial or full reproduction must credit the source: OENDDF.
What is Recommendation CONF/AG(2025)REC3?
On 9 April 2025, the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CONF/AG(2025)REC3 on “Combating gender bias and promoting women’s rights in artificial intelligence and Sciences”. OENDDF is one of the organisations behind its initiative.
What measures does the Recommendation call on States and the Council of Europe to take?
It calls for diversely composed AI development teams, transparency and accountability by developers regarding data collection and coding methods, balanced data collection representative of society, regular testing and evaluation of AI models with corrective measures, education and awareness-raising for developers and the public, better access for girls and marginalised groups to sciences and AI professions, and access to a non-stereotyped justice system for victims of AI-related discrimination, with the burden of proof placed on those responsible for the AI’s design.
Which organisations initiated this Recommendation?
The Recommendation was put forward by University Women of Europe, the Association des Femmes de l’Europe Méridionale, the European Observatory for Non-Discrimination and Fundamental Rights (OENDDF), the Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights of the Conference of INGOs, and the League against Racism and Anti-Semitism.
Who wrote this communiqué and when?
This communiqué was written by Christine Monty, President of the European Observatory for Non-Discrimination and Fundamental Rights (OENDDF), in September 2026, to present Recommendation CONF/AG(2025)REC3 adopted on 9 April 2025 by the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe.