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Learn more about the Challenge

The main Challenge!

In today’s increasingly digitized world, people need digital skills and literacy to work, live, learn and communicate productively. To reduce the risk of digital exclusion for those without these skills, innovatively designed digital solutions can help people — particularly those with very low literacy levels and elementary technology skills — navigate digital spaces and benefit from relevant applications. UNESCO’s Guidelines for Designing Inclusive Digital Solutions and Developing Digital Skills sets out the key factors to consider and processes to follow when developing solutions for people with limited literacy skills and low digital skills. Establishing digital entry points for people with limited literacy and limited digital skills creates a virtuous cycle that accelerates learning and development, benefiting individuals and strengthening communities and livelihoods (UNESCO 2018).

The digital skills most appropriate for low-literate people, as defined by UNESCO and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), are: Basic functional digital skills, which allow users to access and conduct basic operations; and Generic digital skills, which include using digital technologies in meaningful and beneficial ways, such as content creation and online collaboration.

Challenge 1 : Developing Basic Digital Skills and Literacy

Challenge 2 : Ensuring Access to Information

Challenge 3: Enabling and Improving Livelihoods.

Problem Roots

Barriers to digital inclusion

Globally, the offline population is disproportionately rural, poor, elderly and female. Offline people often have limited education, low literacy (Sprague et al., 2014) and typically hold informal-sector jobs. To increase digital inclusion, fundamentally different strategies are needed. (UNESCO guidelines)

Limited users capabilities are seen in the 750 million people who cannot read or write (Montoya, 2017) and the many more who are semi-literate.

Furthermore, beyond literacy abilities, most adults in low- and middle-income countries do not have even basic digital skills and competences. Across Africa, seven in ten people who do not use the internet say they just don’t know how to use it (World Bank, 2016).

Lack of incentives

This includes limited cultural and social acceptance of internet use, low awareness and understanding of the internet, and not enough available and relevant local content.

Need for solutions

While the major barriers need to be addressed in a holistic manner, a two-pronged approach is needed: to simultaneously design relevant and usable digital solutions that are inclusive of the full range of skill levels of users, and also work on improving the quality of education, increase literacy and digital skills of users.

UNESCO’s Guidelines for Designing Inclusive Digital Solutions and Digital Skills the guiding framework to develop their solution which will be finalized and presenting during the Hackathon.

Areas for action

Supporting literacy development

In the digital age, more than ever, literacy is the critical first step in the lifelong learning journey to improved quality of life, livelihood and work. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) devote renewed attention to the importance of literacy by aiming to ensure that all young people and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030 (target 4.6).

Supporting development and inclusion

Digital technologies have been shown to support broad development outcomes, such as contributing to improved health care, education, livelihoods and civic engagement. While the digital divide is real for millions of people, digital technologies also offer the potential for inclusion. When digital solutions are developed for women and rural users, these groups which are traditionally underserved can be included in skills and livelihood development.

Furthermore, digital skills are increasingly required in workplaces around the world. In developing countries, on average one-third of urban workers use digital technologies at work (World Bank, 2016), making investments in digital skills key to also advance the goal of decent work for all (SDG 8).

In this context, the United Nations launched in 2016 the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth to scale up action and impact on youth employment, including by mobilizing a global commitment to the promotion of digital skills for youth.4

We Want You

We want you to develop an innovative digital solutions that focus on users digital skills and competences to enhance digital inclusion in low- and middle- income countries. Nevertheless, we also encourage other types of solutions/ideas around one of three goals for low-literate people:

  • Developing Basic Digital Skills and Literacy
  • Ensuring Access to Information
  • Enabling and Improving Livelihoods

digital services & applications (not only mobile):

An application to Developing Basic Digital Skills and Literacy. E.g. WECCO is a mobile app developed in Senegal that enables the exchange of school textbooks to ensure affordability for students.


artificial intelligence:

Now, thanks to AI, teachers and schools will be able to create textbooks and exercises that are customized to the needs of their specific courses and users.


algorithms:

An algorithm or application based on data analytics enabling and Improving Livelihoods. E.g. ABALOBI1 is a suite of mobile apps designed in South Africa to be an information management system for small-scale fisheries – recording and sharing catch data, and strengthening market participation. The app adapted its UI to the needs of fishers with low-sensitivity fingers, by using large checkboxes, drop-down arrows and other clickable icons.


web application:

An application that ensures access to Information. E.g. An app that is designed specifically for those speaking underrepresented indigenous languages, to have access to information such as a Wikipedia translator.

Open Datasets Available (examples)