Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is a cornerstone of digital development. Without sufficient digital literacy skills whereby end users can access information and use digital tools, it is nearly impossible to advance goals in other areas such as cybersecurity, disinformation, data protection, digital financial services, and connectivity. As such, strengthening the digital literacy of citizens is often a necessary component to any digital development programming.

As a buy-in mechanism supporting a wide variety of activities, Digital Frontiers has been uniquely situated to implement digital literacy programming across many regions and technical areas. This provides an opportunity to explore and learn from our work holistically, including how to best tailor digital literacy programming to local contexts and needs and how to effectively incorporate cyber safety into digital literacy interventions. We continue to strengthen our ability to understand the many facets of digital literacy and use these learnings to improve our work with end users.

Learn more about Digital Frontiers’ activities with a large digital literacy component below.

Activities

Digital Asia Accelerator (DAA)

DAA, part of the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership, works with partners and key stakeholders in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, and Mongolia to advance the use of digital skills for micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses and help citizens stay safe online. Strengthening citizens’ digital literacy and digital skills are key components of DAA’s work across the region.

Learn more here.

Digital Strategy

USAID’s first-ever Digital Strategy charts an Agency-wide approach to development in a rapidly evolving digital age. The Strategy seeks to achieve and sustain open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems that contribute to broad-based, measurable development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the responsible use of digital technology. Incorporating digital literacy into development programming is central to the Agency’s approach to strengthen the security and resilience of partner country digital ecosystems.

Learn more here.

South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI)

Implemented through the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), SARDI is working to improve digital connectivity in the South Asia region, strengthen the private sector and civil society’s digital capacity, and improve their ability to engage on ICT policy issues. A particular focus of SARDI is working to strengthen and build the resilience of women entrepreneurs and women-led community development organizations through digital upskilling activities, policy engagement, and digital connectivity.

Learn more here.

USAID Microsoft Airband Initiative

The USAID Microsoft Airband Initiative aims to address the gender digital divide through bringing meaningful connectivity and Internet access to more women in remote areas of the world. This public-private partnership between Microsoft Corporation’s Airband Initiative and USAID is working to create sustainable and gender-equitable connectivity offerings by working alongside Airband partners in Guatemala, Ghana, India, Colombia, and Kenya. For several Airband partners, their activities include digital literacy programming tailored to rural women in these local contexts.

Learn more here.

WomenConnect Challenge (WCC)

The USAID WomenConnect Challenge, implemented by DAI, is a global call for solutions to improve women’s participation in everyday life by meaningfully changing the ways women access and use technology. To date, USAID has awarded over $4.9 million to 16 grantees working to address barriers limiting women’s access to technology and to connect nearly 6 million women in 16 different countries. A lack of digital literacy skills is a huge barrier to women’s access to technology; thus, digital literacy is a major component of many WCC grantees’ activities.

Learn more here.