Digital development, inequalities & the Sustainable Development Goals: what does ‘Leave No-One Behind’ mean for ICT4D?

ABSTRACT

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) place great emphasis on inequalities and pledge to leave no-one behind. For the field of digital development, this objective presents a particular challenge. While digital technologies can be utilized to reduce certain inequalities, they are also linked to reproductive mechanisms, reinforcing existing inequalities. In the context of an increasing digitalization of development, particular attention must therefore be paid to the link between digital inequalities and the quest to leave no-one behind. This article analyses the integration of intersectional inequalities in the SDG framework and the resulting need for coherent policies, and demonstrates the parallels between this challenge and the reproductive nature of digital inequalities. On this basis, we argue that the issue of digital inequalities should be mainstreamed in development programming in order to avoid worsening existing inequalities through digital development. Moreover, we discuss recommendations for a potential post-2030 agenda succeeding the SDGs.

KEYWORDS:

• ict4d
• sustainable development goals
• inequalities
• digital development

Notes

1 Clearly, not all actors in the field support the framework of the SDGs. In the context of this article, however, we look at digital development efforts that pursue the SDGs.