Project Description
At the request of the Indonesian Presidency of the G20, the Griffith Asia Institute has collaborated with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ( ESCAP ) to develop a compendium that will showcase policy approaches adopted by the G20 Member States to advance meaningful participation of vulnerable groups in the digital economy, including women and children, rural communities, digital immigrants, persons with disabilities and micro, small and medium enterprises.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
• Governments and policy makers.
• The unserved and most vulnerable segments of the population, including women, youth, the elderly and the disabled.
Outcomes to Date
The responses from G20 Members provided important insights for formulating, reforming, and implementing policies that enable vulnerable groups to benefit from and participate in the development of the digital economy. Summarised, the key learnings are:
• To design and implement ‘targeted’ policies.
• Increase consultations.
• Take a whole-of-government approach.
• Build partnerships.
• Monitor and reform policies.
• Raise awareness through communication and promotions.
• Focus on sustainability.
• Address the challenges posed by development of the digital economy.
More specific detail on the findings can be found in the report.
Project Significance
The rapid acceleration of digital technologies has increased the risk of exacerbating the digital divide; those who are capable of meaningful participation in the digital economy versus those who are not. The people most disproportionately impacted by the digital divide are those who are poorer, less educated, live in rural areas, female, persons with disabilities, elder generations, and MSMEs (GSMA, 2021). The challenge for policymakers is creating an enabling policy environment that can drive the development of a digital economy that delivers positive outcomes, while also ensuring that the vulnerable are not left behind and that inequality is not exacerbated. However, it is important to acknowledge that there are certain people, within such groups, who are prone to economic and social challenges which place them in vulnerable situations. Such vulnerable groups experience different barriers and enablers for accessing the digital economy, hence it is important for policymakers to acknowledge the intersection between these groups of people and their diverse experiences.
Considering this situation, the United Nations’ call to “leave no one behind” as a core guiding principle for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, has grown in both relevance and importance. Meeting this promise requires that inclusion be at the heart of digital economy policies. This compendium resulting from this project represents a valuable resource for policy makers as they look to implement their own inclusive digital economy strategies.