AI and Gender Equality Roundtable: Bringing the Conversation to Parliament

A Landmark Gathering at the House of Lords

In April 2026, the Fawcett Society convened an invite-only policy roundtable at the House of Lords, in collaboration with the Misogyny and AI Network. The event brought together Members of Parliament and peers from the House of Lords, alongside barristers, trade unions, researchers, civil servants, regulators and leaders from across the women’s sector.

Framing the Discussion: Evidence and Urgency

The discussion centered on our white paper, Can We Afford to Automate Gender Inequality?, alongside emerging evidence from our work with Responsible AI UK on how artificial intelligence is already shaping women’s employment outcomes and wider life experiences.

Download our one page summary 

DOWNLOAD OUR ROUNDTABLE REPORT 

Key Themes: Risks, Opportunities, and Levers for Change

The roundtable created space for a detailed and constructive exchange on the risks and opportunities posed by AI. Several key themes emerged. Participants highlighted the role of procurement as a powerful lever for change, with public bodies and large organisations able to influence outcomes through the conditions they place on the systems they adopt. There was strong consensus on the need for greater transparency around how AI systems function and the data they rely on, recognising that accountability is not possible without it.

Rethinking Responsibility

The discussion also raised fundamental questions about responsibility, including whether the burden should remain on individuals to prove harm, or shift towards those developing and deploying AI systems to demonstrate that they are fair, safe and compliant from the outset.

A Shared Sense of Momentum

Encouragingly, there was clear alignment across sectors that practical routes forward already exist, and that action can and should be taken now rather than waiting for harms to become more entrenched.

What Comes Next

Fawcett will build on this work by submitting evidence to relevant parliamentary processes, developing the research base further, publishing a summary of insights from the roundtable, and working collaboratively with partners to advance practical policy recommendations.

Participants and Contributors

Representatives from the following organisations were involved: Open University, Imperial Policy Forum, 7BR Chambers, Cloisters Chambers, IPPR, Open Data Institute, Responsible AI UK, Trades Union Congress (TUC), UNISON, Working Families, Pregnant Then Screwed, Young Women’s Trust, Women’s Budget Group, Hawkins Laxton, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), PwC, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the Women in Tech Taskforce.

Read more about our white paper here