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Goal 10. Reduce inequality

ICTs have the potential to help reduce inequality both within and between countries by enabling access to information and knowledge to disadvantaged segments of society – including those living with disabilities, as well as women and girls. However, by the end of 2016, more than half of the world's population – 3.9 billion people – were not yet using the Internet and access was uneven between genders and geographically. Reducing inequalities cannot be achieved without addressing these underlying issues.

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Stats

68.4% of the world’s adults have net worth of under US$ 10,000. Their total share of global wealth is just 4.2%. The richest 0.5% of adults globally hold well over a third of the world’s wealth.¹

¹ Source: www.inequality.org

Case study – Colombia

Colombia’s Convertic programme has been developed by the government to enable visually-impaired people to have autonomous access to information and knowledge, education, job opportunities and entertainment through the use of ICTs. The best screen reader and magnification software available on the market is provided to users for free, enabling independent access to computers, commonly used Office applications, music and video players, and the Internet. Convertic provides an economy-of-scale model that allows Colombia to offer this vital tool to every single one of the country’s 1.2 million visually-impaired citizens.
Related links:
Convertic and WSIS Stocktaking

ITU150 Story: Innovating with Lobna

Why should accessible technology matter to us?
It is estimated that 1 billion people live with some kind of disability around the world. ICT accessibility advocate Lobna Smida (@s_lobna) explains that though there have been transformative innovations in technology for people with disabilities, there is still a long road ahead before we have a truly inclusive information society.
Read the story

Sound Bites

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Former President of the United States of America

"The main force pushing toward reduction in inequality has always been the diffusion of knowledge and the diffusion of education."

Thomas Piketty
French economist

Blogs
Goal & Targets SDG-10
Resources

Reduce inequality within and among countries

10.1 By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
10.4 Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.
10.5 Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations.
10.6 Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions.
10.7 Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.
10.a Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements.
10.b Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes.
10.c By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent.