IFAP advances digital inclusion through multistakeholder cooperation

Policy solutions to address the stark reality of the digital divide leaving billions without essential digital opportunities are crucial. Such policies should include the promotion of digital literacy to enable citizens to use technology while having affordable connectivity.

Policies must also address the use of underrepresented languages, including Indigenous languages. A UNESCO report, Hello Indigenous: a blueprint on the preservation of endangered indigenous languages through digital inclusion, published in cooperation with the Lenovo and Motorola Foundations, found that inclusive technology can significantly impact digital inclusion by integrating it into smartphone interfaces.

The policy solutions should also address the specific needs of young people. The IFAP Strategic Plan 2023-2029, advocates for youth inclusion and digital empowerment initiatives that advance literacy, skills and resilience. The best way to cater for the needs of young people is to involve them from the outset in the design of digital policies.

In order to take all these and other parameters into account, it is important to use comprehensive indicators towards digital inclusion as highlighted in a recent study entitled: Monitoring and Measurement of Digital Inclusion: A Critical Analysis of Key Global Frameworks. Morten Meyerhoff Nielsen, Adviser at the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) is of the opinion that much can be done to improve existing indicators for financial inclusion, digital competencies, critical thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship.

IFAP convened a meeting of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Measuring Digital Inclusion at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) 2024. The meeting under the auspices of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Measuring Digital Inclusiondiscussed the parameters of inclusive digital policies and the need for comprehensive indicators. Targeting specific stakeholders in Europe, the session triggered vibrant policy discussions on bridging the digital divides and shaping gender transformative policies and inclusive digital future.

Pablo Miguel Medina Jimenez, the Chair of Intergovernmental Council of IFAP warmly invited European and international stakeholders to join the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Measuring Digital Inclusion. He encouraged stakeholders touse this Coalition to exchange methodologies, results and good practices on measuring digital inclusion. He also invited them to develop strategies, actions and work plans that would promote digital participation of women and girls,as well as inclusive digital governance.