September 16, 2019
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Digital Equity for Children

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United Nations Children’s Fund

Topic: Digital Equity for Children

UNICEF’s mission to ensure the safety of children extends into the digital world. As technology increasingly shapes education, communication, and access to information, the question of digital equity and its role is important to the greater conversation around children’s rights and development. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this divide; when schools closed, millions of children fell behind simply because they lacked the same access to reliable internet, devices, or digital literacy skills as their peers. UNICEf estimates that two-thirds of school-age children globally do not have access to the internet at home, underscoring the scale of this digital gap.

The issue of digital equity and its solution–the fair and inclusive access to digital tools and opportunities–is not as simple as connecting children to the internet, however. While infrastructure (such as broadband networks, affordable devices, and reliable electricity) is the foundation, meaningful access also depends on the ability to use technology both effectively and safely. Many children who gain internet access still face barriers related to cost, digital literacy, language, or even accessibility for disabilities. Social and cultural factors, including rural isolation and gender inequality, further shape how children move through digital spaces. These gaps risk exacerbating broader inequalities in things like education and employment, creating a divide not only in who is connected but in what and who that connection empowers.

Delegates in UNICEF are encouraged to examine how digital access, literacy, and safety are paramount to children’s rights and development. Addressing digital inequality involves understanding both the material barriers that prevent access and the social factors that shape who benefits from digital tools. Cooperation on their issue requires balancing innovation and inclusion, ensuring that the digital transformation of education and society can empower (rather than exclude) children across diverse global contexts.

 

Focus Questions:

  • How does the digital divide affect children in your country? What percentage of households and/or schools in your country have reliable internet access and how does this vary by region?
  • How can/should digital inclusion advance broader goals of equity, education, and child protection?
  • What challenges exist in providing safe, affordable, and meaningful internet access for all children?

 

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