Redefining Innovation: The Transformative Role of Women in Technology and Global Development

Abstract

Women are key drivers of the course of technological development and world improvement, but gender inequalities in access, participation, and leadership remain challenging to inclusive development. This is a synthesis of interdisciplinary evidence existing in the field of engineering, the entrepreneurship field, the field of education, and the field of policy research to look into how women are transforming the paradigms of innovation in the digital age. It brings out the transformation of the female roles -from end-users to active innovators and active decision-makers -in a larger context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and sustainable development goals (SDGs). The article addresses such topics as digital inclusion, capacity building, gender-responsive design, and leadership in new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain and renewable energy. The review finds and suggests the conceptual roadmap between empowerment, innovation ecosystems, and global development outcomes by synthesising the evidence of the empirical literature and policy frameworks. This paper also finds that gender-inclusive innovation is not only an issue of moral interest but also an element of technology resilience, equity, and sustainability.