Illustrated/ Designed by Gwyn
When COVID-19 struck, it exposed the reality of how essential the internet is and how dependent we are on it. Unfortunately, it also brought home the unpleasant realization that not everyone has meaningful access to the internet at home.
We have come to understand that, in this crisis, meaningful access to the internet is no longer a luxury but rather a lifeline because, without it, employees would not be able to work from home and keep economies afloat; governments would not be able to disseminate vital health information; families would not be able to keep in touch; students would not be able to keep their education intact by learning online.
Hence, it is important to note that many of our fundamental rights depend on having access to the internet – be it our right to education, health, freedom of expression, political participation, and so on. For marginalized communities, the internet is an invaluable space where they can drive social change and forge identities.
For the past year, KRYSS Network consulted individuals and groups to develop a policy brief where we unpack the issues and challenges in promoting, ensuring, and protecting internet access as a human right here.
We also disseminated our findings through a series of social media infographics.
The infographic series can be found on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
As the COVID-19 crisis deepens the inequalities between those who are connected and those who are not, we must accelerate the development of a society where everyone — especially women and girls — can access the internet. To do that, we must start acknowledging access to the internet as a new human right and seek to eliminate the digital divide.
To learn more about the issue, check out our policy brief, ‘Internet Access as a Human Right: Issues, Policy Implications, and Recommendations’, here.
KRYSS NETWORK 