Our Programmes Lead, Srinidhi Ragahvan joined the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2025 Main Panel, “Building an Inclusive Digital Future: Access, Accountability, and Empowerment” virtually to bring a critical feminist and disability rights perspective to conversations on digital inclusion, access, and empowerment. This hybrid event, held on November 29, 2025, was attended by 50 persons.
The panel was moderated by Jyoti Pandey, Regional Director – Asia, Internet Governance Project. The other panelists were: Shailendra Pal Singh, Senior General Manager, Digital India Bhashini Division; Aparajita Bharti – Founding Partner, The Quantum Hub, Co-Founder, Young Leaders for Active Citizenship; Sudeep Gowrishankar – Head of AI & Data, Rocket Learning; Setu Upadhayay – Senior Policy Advisor, Internet Society; and Saanki Lalwani Chabbaria – General Manager, Regulatory, Airtel.
Srinidhi highlighted how emerging technologies risk widening inequality, noting a stark digital divide between 45% of men without disabilities who have tech access compared to only 5% of women with disabilities. She stressed that inclusion must go beyond access to address ownership, affordability, agency, language, literacy, and data costs, and that basic digital skills cannot be assumed. She also pointed out that inaccessible systems reproduce offline exclusion online and urged policymakers to reimagine digital futures with persons with disabilities as active citizens, not passive beneficiaries.
All panelists emphasised that true inclusion requires more than just infrastructure and connectivity; it demands agency, privacy, and accountability. Ultimately, everyone agreed that digital rights are inseparable from social rights, requiring robust collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure no citizen is left behind.
You can watch the full panel here.
