By Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB, Member of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation
Since 2005, the number of people using the Internet worldwide has quadrupled to four billion. Two thirds of the world’s population now own a mobile device. At some point this year, half the world will be online. That is remarkable progress, and for those with access to these technologies the dividends are many. Health and education services, employment and income opportunities, civic participation options – these are today’s digital pathways to economic, political and social empowerment.
However, to the extent that the most digitally connected of us are being advantaged by the technologies, the least connected are being disadvantaged. The digitalisation of our world is layering a new level of exclusion upon our most marginalised citizens, leaving those without the access, agency, or ability to reap today’s digital dividends further and further behind.
In this article, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB (and a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation) Danny Sriskandarajah discusses Oxfam GB’s work on combating digital inequality and what steps we can all take to ensure the digital revolution benefits all of society instead of the few.
If you liked this post, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates.