On the occasion of International Girls in ICT Day, UNIDIR caught up with Catalina Vera Toro, Alternate Representative of Chile to the Organization of American States, who participated in the 2025 editions of both UNIDIR’s Women in AI Fellowship and Women in Cyber Fellowship. She reflects on her work on artificial intelligence (AI) governance and diplomacy and shares advice for young women wishing to join the field.
Every year, on 23 April, the UN celebrates International Girls in ICT Day. This year’s theme “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future” draws attention to the digital gender divide: How can we ensure that AI benefits everyone when 90% of adolescent girls and young women in low-income countries are offline? If not developed responsibly, AI technology risks perpetuating and reinforcing gendered inequalities through unequal access, biased algorithms and new forms of AI-enabled digital harm.
An important step for addressing these issues is to ensure that women diplomats, who remain under-represented in multilateral cyber governance forums, have a seat at the decision-making table. Every year, UNIDIR organizes the Women in AI Fellowship and the Women in Cyber Fellowship, bringing together women diplomats from across the world working on AI and cybersecurity for week-long trainings. The fellowships are part of UNIDIR’s broader effort to contribute to women’s meaningful participation in international security.
Q: How does your work relate to AI and/or cybersecurity? And how do you see your role as a diplomat in shaping the digital future?
A: My work sits at the intersection of technology, security and global governance. As a diplomat, I contribute to building international consensus on how artificial intelligence and digital technologies should be developed and used in a responsible, ethical and secure manner.
I see my role as that of a translator between different worlds: the technical, the political, and the human.
Ultimately, the digital future is not defined only by what technology can do, but by what we decide as societies it should do. From Chile, I seek to bring a perspective that places people, their rights and their dignity at the centre, ensuring that digital transformation becomes a tool to reduce inequalities rather than deepen them.
Q: What aspects of the UNIDIR Women in AI Fellowship and/or Women in Cyber Fellowship have been most helpful to you and how?
A: One of the most transformative aspects of these fellowships has been the opportunity to connect with amazing women from different regions and professional backgrounds, all sharing a common conviction: that we can and want to actively shape more inclusive technological futures.
Beyond technical knowledge, I particularly value the space to question assumptions and enrich discussions through interdisciplinary perspectives. For example, through the fellowships I was able to more effectively integrate ethical and gender considerations into discussions on security and emerging technologies, strengthening my ability to contribute more holistically in multilateral settings.
Q: Which emerging challenge related to AI or cybersecurity concerns you the most – and why?
A: I am deeply concerned about the pace at which these technologies are advancing compared to our collective ability to govern them. In particular, the risk that artificial intelligence may reproduce or amplify existing inequalities, often in ways that are not immediately visible.
I have worked in regulating tech my entire professional career and as regulators, we are always lagging behind. AI is a whole new challenge as it revolutionizes multiple sectors at the same time, making it very hard for current governing structures and institutions to follow up.
I am also concerned about the increasing autonomy of certain systems in sensitive contexts, such as security and defence. This raises fundamental questions:
Where do we draw the line? How do we ensure accountability? And, above all, how do we guarantee that these technologies remain in service of people?
Perhaps even more fundamentally, I often ask myself whether we will be able to collectively prioritize what truly matters. In an international context that frequently incentivizes competition – technological, economic and strategic – the real challenge lies in achieving the agreements needed to establish shared principles and limits. The question is not only what we can do with these technologies, but whether we will have the collective will to ensure that their development serves the common good, rather than narrow interests.
Q: What do you think are the biggest barriers to women and girls’ meaningful participation in the digital space?
A: The barriers are not only about access, but also about perception and confidence. Many girls and young women grow up without seeing themselves reflected in these spaces, or they grow up feeling that they do not belong.
These challenges are compounded by structural inequalities in education, opportunities and access to digital tools, as well as online environments that are not always safe or welcoming. Addressing these barriers requires not only public policy, but also deeper cultural change. And most of all, it requires strong networks of professionals inspiring and supporting each other.
Q: What advice would you share with girls and young women aspiring to contribute to AI and cybersecurity governance?
A: I would tell them that curiosity is a form of courage. Asking questions, exploring, making mistakes, and trying again are all essential parts of the journey.
But above all, I would remind them of something they should never lose sight of: technology is not an end in itself. Any innovation that truly matters must be, at its core, by and for people. It should improve lives, expand opportunities, and protect what makes us human.
They do not need to fit into a predefined mold to contribute to this field. Their perspectives, experiences, and questions are exactly what is needed to build a more just digital future. I would encourage them to step forward, to make their voices heard, and to imagine different kinds of technologies: more inclusive, more ethical, and more human-centred. Technology that reflects and supports their needs and dreams.
Q: Any final thoughts on girls’ and women’s empowerment in the digital space?
A: Digital empowerment is not only about access, but also about agency… the ability to influence, decide and transform. It is not just about increasing the number of women in technology, but about ensuring that they can shape how these technologies are designed, implemented and governed.
If we truly integrate diverse perspectives, we will not only close gaps, but we will also build better technologies. Because a more inclusive digital future is not only fairer; it is also more innovative and sustainable.