Progress toward gender equity is progress for all
Part of any journey is celebrating the progress made along the way. We invite you to take a closer look at how inspiring women — at Google and beyond — are creating a more equitable future where all people can be exactly who and what they want to be.
5-minute read
Empowering women through representation
The 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD) Doodle transports us around the world and gives us a glimpse of women’s everyday lives across different cultures. The common thread in all seven illustrations is how women show up for themselves, their families, and their communities.
“We all wake up in the morning and have a purpose, big or small. It all matters.”
Thoka Maer, she/her, Art Director, Google Doodles team
Thoka Maer is the East Germany-born, US-based Doodler behind the global Doodle. With many women still navigating the challenges of the pandemic, Thoka's desire is for all women “to be able to choose the lives they want to live, and receive the respect they deserve.” She hopes that by seeing others like themselves represented on Google’s homepage, women everywhere feel recognised and inspired.
The 2022 International Women’s Day Doodle
A mother working from home with her children nearby
A surgeon in the operating room
A woman practising self-care through her favourite hobby and time spent with loved ones
An artist perfecting her craft
A woman practising self-care through her favourite hobby and time spent with loved ones
An artist perfecting her craft
A fashion designer working on her clothing line
A motorcycle mechanic teaching her skills to the next generation
A filmmaker capturing scenes in the wild
Based on Google Trends data as of February 2022 measuring search interest from January 2004 to December 2021.
Improving breast cancer detection using AI
Diagnosing breast cancer accurately and early with mammograms remains a challenge. This sparked Northwestern Medicine to partner with Google Health in exploring how AI can be used to reduce the time to diagnosis. As a next step, Google Health is partnering with Imperial College London and the NHS to explore the benefits AI can bring to screening specialists and patients in a clinical setting.
Improving breast cancer detection using AI
Diagnosing breast cancer accurately and early with mammograms remains a challenge. This sparked Northwestern Medicine to partner with Google Health in exploring how AI can be used to reduce the time to diagnosis. As a next step, Google Health is partnering with Imperial College London and the NHS to explore the benefits AI can bring to screening specialists and patients in a clinical setting.
Worldwide, mammography searches reached an all-time high during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2021.
Based on Google Trends data as of February 2022 measuring search interest from January 2004 to December 2021. "Mammography" is a topic that aggregates search interest across all Google-supported languages.
Using AI to identify gender gaps on screen
In collaboration with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the Google Media Understanding for Social Exploration (MUSE) team has been using machine learning to analyse media content. Years of data shows hard evidence of the gender gap in media representation.
In 2016, the first study measured gender representation in top box office movies, analysing a 90-minute film in as little as 15 minutes. A subsequent 2019 study measured representation in global YouTube ads. Both revealed that men are seen more on camera but that films and ads with female-led or gender-balanced content get more views. A 2020 analysis of Super Bowl ads further reinforced these findings.
Looking ahead, the team is working to partner with researchers and AI ethicists to build better machine learning models that can scan video, images, audio, and text and identify even more identity traits — like ability, skin tone, and body type. The data-driven insights uncovered will continue not only to inform Google's work, but also to help marketers and the film industry improve representation and portrayals of women.
“As a mum, a woman of colour, a person in tech, a STEM author, and an immigrant, I’m inspired by the possibilities Responsible AI can unlock. This nascent field has a unique opportunity to create equitable outcomes across many social scenarios.”
Komal Singh, she/her, Engineering Program Manager, Google MUSE team
Ongoing commitments
Explore other Google programmes, products, and partnerships that are driving equity for women.
