The "Women and Skills Report 2021" by Coursera explores the pandemic's impact on women's skills trends and online learning's role in closing the gender gap. COVID-19 and automation have disproportionately affected women, primarily due to increased childcare responsibilities and workforce exits, widening employment gaps but sparking a rise in online education. Women’s course enrollments rose from 38% pre-pandemic to 45% in 2021, with STEM enrollments climbing from 31% to 37%. Despite challenges, 50% of new Coursera learners in 2021 were women. This report underscores the potential of online learning to empower women and support equitable workforce recovery.

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