Experience of Co-designing Digital Justice and Inclusion Initiatives with Communities in Bangladesh

Date: Monday, Oct 13

Time: 13:30 - 14:00 (30 mins)

Session Types: Showcase

This showcase presents community-driven innovations from Oxfam in Bangladesh and Monash University under the Participatory Research & Ownership of Technology, Innovation & Change (PROTIC II) initiative, highlighting how digital justice and inclusion can be built from the ground up through participatory research, co-design, and platform experimentation.
Key initiatives include:
• PAROLI: A pioneering offline audio communication system that connects remote communities via a local server, accessible even through button phones. Like a Zoom call without internet, it enables inclusive, real-time communication in areas with limited connectivity. PAROLI holds strong potential for use during climate emergencies—such as cyclones or floods—when power and internet are down, supporting community alerts, SOS calls, and coordination for emergency response.
• Fisherfolk Digital Inclusion Work: Co-developed with riverine communities, this work includes:
o A knowledge graph app preserving indigenous fishing knowledge.
o A flood forecast app for safety alerts.
o Digital literacy training for better access to digital tools.
o Social media advocacy, such as Jeledder Kotha, amplifying the voices of fisherfolk.
• Cybersecurity research in Bangladesh reveals how women face digital threats—like harassment, blackmail, and scams—shaped by low digital literacy, social stigma, weak institutional support, and policy gaps. Women, especially in rural areas, face a “digital double bind”: they depend on the internet for work and expression but lack safety and protection. The study calls for gender-sensitive cyber safety measures, including inclusive digital education, safer online spaces, and stronger policies that uphold women’s digital rights.

The session will reflect on how these initiatives intersect rights, resilience, and technology to reimagine inclusive internet ecosystems. It invites collaboration, validation, and exchange with regional actors committed to digital governance.

Moderators/Speakers: Nafisa Tasnim Khan, Tausif Uddin Ahmed, Umme Humayra