of people in the Global South experienced digital violence, (e.g. online harassment, cyberbullying) in the past year, with women and girls most affected.
60%
of respondents find internet access prohibitively expensive.
66%
believe governments are failing to prevent digital violence.
As digital technologies reshape our world, Oxfam Ireland is warning that spiralling global inequality could be greatly exacerbated unless we find a way to ensure there is accountable governance for this digital age.
Speaking at the Internet Governance Forum in Dublin today (Thursday, May 22) Oxfam Ireland CEO, Jim Clarken explained why they have entered the digital rights space.
It has become increasingly clear to us that digital rights are inseparable from human rights. If digital rights are not wrestled from the iron grip of tech giants, then women in Dublin, men in Africa, children in Asia, in fact every single one of us are at risk as are the democracies some of us live in.
“The tech industry has largely failed to meet its obligations to respect the human rights of its users. Our research shows the ill effects felt by vulnerable people and the organisations that try to defend them. Governments have been complicit with feeble attempts to limit these monopolies resulting in vast wealth creation and a new breed of oligarchs.
“Digital technologies are evolving faster than our ability to regulate them.
“We must act now to ensure these tools serve both the public good and the planet, not just corporate interests. We must build a digital ecosystem that is inclusive, rights-based, sustainable and safe for all.”
— Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland CEO
Oxfam Ireland lead the €3.5 million EU co-funded ReCIPE Project across 10 countries in the Global South.
The ReCIPE Project—Recentering the Civic Internet through Partner Engagement—aims to ensure that digital governance is rooted in human rights, not corporate profit. The initiative will be implemented in Senegal, Cambodia, Somalia, Vietnam, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, El Salvador, Bolivia, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In an Oxfam Ireland survey of over 1000 civil society members in the Global South, 35% were found to have been victims of digital violence in the last year. More than 2.5 billion people remain offline, with women 15% less likely to use mobile internet than men.
Oxfam Ireland is calling on the Irish government to support:
Stronger human rights protections through implementation of governments' shared commitments like the Global Digital Compact.
More resourcing of communities' ability to safely and meaningfully benefit from tech, especially for those in the Global South.
Investment in national and international governance processes like the IGF.
Active participation in international efforts to ensure tax fairness for tech and other global companies.
It has become increasingly clear to us that digital rights are inseparable from human rights. If digital rights are not wrestled from the iron grip of tech giants, then women in Dublin, men in Africa, children in Asia, in fact every single one of us are at risk as are the democracies some of us live in.
