About Digital Frontiers
Across the developing world, digital technologies are accelerating change at every level of society. The challenge is that, to date, these solutions have not matched the pace and scale of the problems they address.
Digital Frontiers is a buy-in mechanism available to Bureaus and Missions of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). We work closely with several Bureaus, particularly the USAID Development, Democracy, and Innovations Bureau (DDI) and the Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub (ITR); 35+ USAID Missions; the private sector; and international and local development organizations around the world.
Digital Frontiers works to advance the goals of USAID's Digital Strategy and helps USAID have greater impact across its development portfolio by advancing digital tools and approaches in the areas of digital finance, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, digital literacy, ICT policy, emerging technology, and digital agriculture.
Spotlight
Gender Digital Divide
Leading USAID’s Efforts in Closing the Gender Digital Divide
Achieving women’s equality can promote global prosperity. Yet, with the rise of new technologies and the dependence on connectivity, the gender digital divide has introduced a new obstacle that is impeding progress in advancing women’s empowerment. Despite the increase in development efforts to bring more women online, the divide remains significant, with the International Telecommunication Union reporting 259 million fewer women having access to the Internet than men.
WomenConnnect Challenge
Shifting Harmful Social Norms
Every society has a set of social norms - many, largely unwritten, rules that traditionally define acceptable and appropriate behaviors for its members. For some societies, social norms have evolved over generations to adapt to shifting community values; however, some are still restrictive and confining, especially when it comes to women's roles, opportunities and behaviors.
Artificial Intelligence
How USAID Encourages Private Sector Partners to Tackle AI’s Most Critical Challenges
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not neutral; instead, it involves lots of human decisions that profoundly impact how AI systems are designed and implemented. As a result, AI can work well for some and not for others. Researchers and activists have identified numerous instances of inequitable design, use, and impact of AI-enabled tools in low- and middle-income countries. Diverse collaboration through public-private partnerships can help recognize deficiencies in the technology, but encouraging these partnerships is a challenge in itself.
Digital Democracy
Democratizing Digital Landscape Assessment
The Democratizing Digital Landscape Assessment, commissioned by the Conflict, Peace Building and Governance division in the Africa Bureau (AFR/SD/CPG), presents findings to better understand the links between digital development and digital repression in SSA, and potential strategies to counter its rise.
ICT Policy and Cybersecurity
Four Critical Considerations When Developing ICT Policies and Regulations
Across several regions, DAI’s ProICT and ATLATL policy experts, implementing activities under the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), stressed that practitioners can demonstrate value in the ICT policy development process by building trusted and meaningful relationships with relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries, becoming deeply knowledgeable and respectful of local cultures, norms, laws and challenges, and focusing their expertise on long-term capacity building that can outlast their time in the country.
Digital Strategy
Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) Toolkit
The DECA Toolkit is a step-by-step guide designed to help USAID Mission staff hire and manage a research team to independently conduct high-quality research. DECA findings and recommendations will directly inform Mission decision-making about digital development at both strategic and programmatic levels.
Last-Mile Connectivity
Bridging the gender digital divide for Guatemalan Indigenous women
Read about how the USAID/Microsoft Airband Initiative, implemented by Digital Frontiers, works in collaboration with local partner New Sun Road to increase digital opportunities for Indigenous women in the Alta Verapaz region of rural Guatemala.
