Digital Equity and Social Inclusion: Rethinking Governance for Marginalized Communities in the Global South

Abstract:

The global digital transformation has created unprecedented opportunities for economic growth, social connectivity, and public service innovation, yet marginalized communities in the Global South remain disproportionately excluded from these benefits. This study focuses on low-income groups, persons with disabilities, rural populations, and women in 8 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, exploring the unique barriers to digital inclusion in resource-constrained contexts and evaluating the effectiveness of context-adaptive governance strategies. Drawing on 65 stakeholder interviews, policy analysis, and household surveys with 1,200 participants, the research identifies four interconnected barriers: inadequate infrastructure access, limited digital literacy tailored to local needs, cultural and gender-based exclusion, and institutional fragility. It further proposes a “context-centric inclusion governance model” that integrates bottom-up community engagement, flexible regulatory frameworks, and innovative public-private-community partnerships (PPCPs). Findings indicate that initiatives grounded in local cultural norms, leveraging low-cost technological adaptations, and strengthening community-led institutions achieve 38% higher rates of sustained digital inclusion compared to top-down, one-size-fits-all approaches. The study contributes to global debates on digital equity by highlighting the need to center the lived experiences of marginalized communities in governance design, offering actionable insights for policymakers, civil society, and development partners seeking to bridge the digital divide in the Global South.