| APrIGF 2025 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||
| Ms. Nafisa Tasnim Khan | |||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||
| Oxfam in Bangladesh | |||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||
| Senior Programme Office | |||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||
| Female | |||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||
| Bangladesh | |||||||||
| Stakeholder Group | |||||||||
| Civil Society | |||||||||
| List Your Organizing Partners (if any) | |||||||||
| DR KHALID HOSSAIN Research Fellow Monash University Faculty of Information Technology Room 147, Clayton campus 25 Exhibition Walk (https://goo.gl/maps/34hszVdAheJCRmbaA) Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 3823 M: +61 (0)450 820 437 E: md.khalid.hossain@monash.edu monash.edu |
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| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||
| Experience of Co-designing Digital Justice and Inclusion Initiatives with Communities in Bangladesh | |||||||||
| Thematic Track of Your Session | |||||||||
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| Description of Session Formats | |||||||||
| Showcase (30 minutes) | |||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||
| Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||
| 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. |
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| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||
| This session aligns with the Access and Inclusion track by showcasing grassroots digital initiatives co-designed with marginalized communities in Bangladesh—women, fisherfolk, tea garden workers, and agrarian groups—who are often excluded from digital governance and innovation processes. PAROLI, a pioneering offline audio communication tool, enables real-time group conversations via button phones and a local server—functioning like Zoom but without the need for internet or smartphones. Developed for communities with limited connectivity, PAROLI has proven critical during climate emergencies (e.g., cyclones, floods), supporting alerts, coordination, and SOS messaging when power and internet fail. Our Fisherfolk Digital Inclusion initiative engages elderly and young, male and female fisherfolk through tools like a flood forecast app and a knowledge graph to preserve traditional fishing knowledge. Digital literacy training and social media advocacy via platforms like Jeledder Kotha amplify their voices and foster community-driven digital engagement. Meanwhile, our Cybersecurity research addresses the gendered digital divide, highlighting how women—students, homemakers, and entrepreneurs—face harassment, blackmail, and scams. These risks are shaped by low digital literacy, interpersonal exploitation, and weak institutional and policy safeguards. The study calls for inclusive digital safety education, better reporting systems, and gender-sensitive reforms in cyber law. Together, these interventions illustrate how access and inclusion must be reimagined through co-designed, locally grounded innovations. The session contributes to APrIGF’s 2025 theme by offering practical models and policy insights that support inclusive, resilient, and rights-based digital governance across the Asia Pacific region. |
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| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required) | |||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||
| Nafisa Tasnim Khan (Moderator): As Project Manager at Oxfam, Nafisa leads the digital inclusion portfolio, connecting grassroots innovation with strategic research. She will introduce the session, set the context, and highlight the importance of access and equity in digital governance. Umme Humayra (Speaker): A gender and technology researcher, Humayra will speak on digital accessibility and rights, drawing from cybersecurity research that highlights barriers faced by women—from students to entrepreneurs—in navigating online spaces safely. Tausif Uddin Ahmed (Speaker): A senior software developer, Tausif has led the development of innovative websites and mobile applications for community-based digital inclusion. He will share insights on building scalable, user-friendly platforms that bridge access gaps for marginalized groups. |
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| If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for. | |||||||||
| We do not require speaker assistance, but would appreciate multimedia and logistical support, including: • A projector and screen for visual presentations • Microphones for in-room speakers and audience interaction • A wall or board to display printed posters • Technical setup for hybrid engagement, enabling smooth participation from online audiences (audio-visual connectivity, camera, streaming support) These will help ensure an inclusive and interactive session experience for both in-person and remote participants. |
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| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2025. | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2025? | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below: | |||||||||
| Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger. | |||||||||
| APrIGF offers live transcript in English for all sessions. Do you need any other translation support or any disability related requests for your session? APrIGF makes every effort to be a fully inclusive and accessible event, and will do the best to fulfill your needs. | |||||||||
| No | |||||||||
| Brief Summary of Your Session | |||||||||
| The Showcase session titled “Experience of Co-designing Digital Justice and Inclusion Initiatives with Communities in Bangladesh” presented Oxfam in Bangladesh and Monash University’s joint research initiative, PROTIC II (Participatory Research and Ownership with Technology, Information and Change). The discussion focused on how participatory research and community co-design can address the digital divide among marginalized communities such as fisherfolk, domestic workers, and tea-garden workers. The session highlighted the process of building low-tech, inclusive digital tools such as PAROLI (voice-based conferencing system), Nodir Koushol (fisherfolk knowledge-sharing app), Jalshikkah (digital literacy platform), and PRAGATI (gamified learning for domestic workers). Speakers shared how these platforms were co-created with communities through iterative workshops and piloted by community volunteers who trained others in digital literacy. The audience engaged actively with questions on sustainability, community participation, and scalability. Presenters emphasized that the success of PROTIC lies in its people-first approach, where technology is treated as an enabler for voice, knowledge, and empowerment, not as an end in itself. |
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| Substantive Summary of the Key Issues Raised and the Discussion | |||||||||
| Participants raised several important questions and reflections during the session. One major question was whether the co-design research model, which places community members at the center of digital innovation, is recommended for similar development contexts. The speakers confirmed that it is not only recommended but essential, as it ensures that marginalized groups are represented, and their lived experiences shape the design, usability, and purpose of technology. Another issue raised was about sustainability, how these pilot interventions can continue beyond the project timeline. The response highlighted the importance of involving government actors, regulators, and policy institutions in project design from the outset, ensuring continuity through policy adoption and institutional support. A third question focused on how policymakers can truly hear community voices when developing digital or social policies. The panel underscored the importance of bottom-up, participatory approaches, where evidence and ideas flow from the community level to the decision-making table, enabling policies that reflect on-ground realities. Finally, participants questioned whether digital applications or online platforms might be too sophisticated for low-literacy communities. The team shared that PROTIC addressed this through peer-learning and volunteer-led training models, where community youth acted as trainers, helping others navigate technology in their own language and pace. All pilots were designed and implemented by the communities themselves, demonstrating that digital transformation can be inclusive and locally owned. |
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| Conclusions and Suggestions of Way Forward | |||||||||
| The session concluded that co-designing with communities is a scalable and adaptable model for inclusive digital development. It helps bridge gaps between research, technology, and lived experience, ensuring that digital innovation aligns with community needs. The key way forward discussed was the integration of government and policy stakeholders into participatory digital projects to ensure sustainability and institutional recognition. Oxfam and Monash emphasized that linking community-generated knowledge with policymaking spaces can make digital inclusion both impactful and lasting. Future projects will aim to strengthen digital literacy and capacity-building among marginalized groups, enabling them to use technology for advocacy, rights claiming, and safer online engagement. The team also highlighted Oxfam’s potential role as a connector, bridging the voices of fisherfolk, domestic workers, and women entrepreneurs with policymakers, digital experts, and regulators. Participants agreed that continued collaboration between research institutions, NGOs, and governments is essential to replicate such initiatives across different contexts. The PROTIC II model demonstrates that even communities with low literacy can adapt and thrive when equipped with accessible tools, peer-learning mechanisms, and supportive ecosystems that promote inclusion, safety, and agency. |
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| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||
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| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||
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| How were gender perspectives, equality, inclusion or empowerment discussed? Please provide details and context. | |||||||||
| Gender equality and inclusion were integral to the session. PROTIC II specifically targets women domestic workers, fisherwomen, and women entrepreneurs who face barriers to digital participation due to safety concerns, social stigma, and limited access to technology. The discussion highlighted how co-designing digital tools with women ensures safer online engagement, greater confidence in using digital platforms, and stronger participation in decision-making spaces. The project’s gender lens promotes empowerment through skill-building, visibility, and community leadership. | |||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2025. |
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