Beyond Access: Reclaiming ICTs for Human Development

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Recent progress in the diffusion of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) promises to be an important accelerator of participatory processes in the field of development cooperation. Notwithstanding the benefits of growing digital infrastructure in developing countries, questions remain as to whether the mere diffusion of physical ICT access can truly empower previously excluded groups. Illustrating how persisting barriers continue to preclude a large share of individuals from a meaningful engagement with ICTs, this paper cautions that a singular focus on hardware diffusion may in fact deepen inequalities in developing countries.

By: Vera Schroeder

Published on January 21, 2019

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