Connected Resilience: Experiences of Meaningful Connectivity in the Global Majority World
A Building a Global, Equitable, and Just Internet Infrastructure event, presented in conjunction with NWMEDIA198: Building A Sustainable Internet, with generous support from the Berkeley Economy & Society Initiative (BESI)
with Sonia Jorge
Founder and Executive Director, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership
As internet access continues to expand, it is far from universal or evenly distributed. While policy makers anticipate new industrial revolutions and digital transformations, billions of people have yet to benefit. Limited infrastructure, lack of digital skills and affordable smart devices, as well as socio-economic barriers continue to restrict digital access and opportunity, especially to those who can benefit the most, including women, the poor and rural, among other marginalized populations across regions. Leveraging on GDIP's extensive research and policy experience in global majority countries, Sonia will discuss policy approaches to fast-track meaningful connectivity and inclusive digital economies for all.
About Sonia Jorge
Sonia Jorge is the Founder and Executive Director of the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP), and an experienced leader and international digital policy expert. Sonia has successfully led global coalitions bringing together the private sector, governments, and civil society actors from across the globe to deliver the policies needed to reduce the cost to connect and make universal meaningful connectivity a reality for everyone in global majority countries. As a policy advisor and gender equality advocate with experience in over 50 countries, she has led numerous digital policy and development projects in several regions and with international organizations, such as the World Bank, UNDP, UN Women, ITU, and for private sector companies and associations.
Sonia was recognized by Apolitical as one of the World’s 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government in 2019. She serves or has served as a member and expert in a number of Committees, including CGAP’s Data Project, DFID’s Digital Access Panel for Africa, the ITU-UN Women EQUALS Partnership, The World Economic Forum’s Future of the Internet Initiative, the Broadband Commission Working Group on the Gender Digital Divide, the Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy (ACICIP) Subcommittee of the U.S. State Department on ICT4D, and the EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force. She was an Independent Board Director with KaiOS Technologies. Sonia is an Advisory Board member of UNESCO’s Cetic.br Regional Center and a frequent speaker at international, regional and national forums.
Sonia was the co-founder and Executive Director of the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) until September 2022. She has a Masters in Public Policy from Tufts University and degrees in Economics and Business Finance from the University of Massachusetts.
Accessibility
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