Kavita Kalsi
Kavita Kalsi is a Senior Technical Specialist at SDDirect.
Digital inclusion is essential to equitable development. Lack of access to affordable and reliable internet connections is a critical barrier to development for nearly three billion people around the world, with women and girls, people with disabilities and other people who experience discrimination and exclusion most impacted. Once online, marginalised people often struggle with a lack of (digital) literacy and skills, with negative impacts on their ability to study and earn a living. Simultaneously, online violence is disproportionately targeted at women, girls, and gender and sexual minorities, and governments are often ill-equipped to address this.
SDDirect has an in-depth experience and knowledge of access and differential benefits and the potential harms. Our staff have a range of expertise in themes related to digital inclusion, including:
How to prevent and respond to online gender-based violence
How investments can promote women’s digital access and inclusion
How technology can be harnessed to support people with disabilities
How artificial intelligence can be adapted to reduce its gender and social biases
If you would like to hear more about our work in this area, please reach out to Kavita Kalsi, Senior Technical Expert and lead on our Digital Portfolio, kavita.kalsi@sddirect.org.uk.
Kavita Kalsi is a Senior Technical Specialist at SDDirect.
The Digital Access Programme (DAP) is a four year, £59m programme jointly funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMA) to catalyse more inclusive, affordable, safe and secure digital access for excluded and underserved communities in
Response to Helpdesk query regarding current best practice on mobile agriculture programme (i.e. mobile-based interventions targeted at smallholder farmers). This was to include smallholder farmers with dsability, and a discussion of ways to empower them, and address the key barriers that they face.
Produced in response to a query which requested more knowledge and understanding on how gender and inclusion (G&I) and women's economic empowerment (WEE) are being integrated into digital/tech programming at the Prosperity Fund (PF), and to consider opportunities to increase the level of ambition on G&I/WEE.
This annotated bibliography was produced in response to a VAWG Helpdesk query regarding evidence on the digital harassment of women leaders (MPs, civic activists, etc.) - including the scale of the issue, impact on inidivudal and collective levels, and effectiveness of interventions on this issue.
Guidance note which aims to build knowledge and understanding on technology's use and impact on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) programming in humanitarian settings. It identifies good practices, lessons and challenges in using technology within the GBV research community.
SDDirect provide technical assistance to the European Investment Bank (EIB) supporting them realise their aspirations on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment through sector operations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).