´Digital divide´: discriminatory digital policies that marginalise Roma communities
With this project, we aim to draw attention to the unequal access of disadvantaged Roma as well as some other groups of the Slovak population to digital technologies – specifically the Internet, computers and smartphones. Limited access to these technologies or lack of skills in using them put them at an increased disadvantage in various areas of life. During the ongoing pandemic, this problem came to the foreground, particularly in connection with unequal access of disadvantaged Roma children to distant education via the Internet or barriers for disadvantaged Roma or older people to register for vaccination against Covid-19 via the Internet.
The aim of this unique project in Slovakia is to raise public awareness of the importance of universal access to digital technologies and the Internet in our society and to contribute so that the responsible state authorities start paying the necessary attention to discrimination in this area and take effective measures for its prevention.
As part of the project, we plan to initiate two strategic court proceedings that will draw attention to discrimination in this area.
We implement this project thanks to the financial support of Digital Freedom Fund.