Peter Ongom
Program Officer, Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) and, Director of Data and Innovations, at the Global Tech Inclusion Network (GTIN)
Kampala, Uganda
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Peter Ongom is a computer scientist specializing in digital innovations for community development. His work spans multiple sectors, including data governance, digital rights, countering digital backlash, climate justice, agriculture, and the expansion of internet connectivity, with a strong emphasis on ICT-driven solutions that respond to real-world challenges.
He currently serves as a Program Officer at Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) (https://wougnet.org/ ), an NGO promoting ICTs for sustainable development. Additionally, he is the founder and Director of Data and Innovations at the Global Tech Inclusion Network (GTIN) (https://globaltechinc.org/ ), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing gender-inclusive, data-driven innovations for equitable community development.
Peter is deeply committed to mentoring youth groups by equipping them with digital skills that spark local innovations. Through his work, he fosters an environment where young people can leverage technology to create sustainable solutions tailored to their communities' needs. He is also a passionate advocate for inclusive digital spaces, working to ensure that marginalized communities are not only users of technology, but active shapers of digital tools and innovations, adapting and refining them to reflect their lived realities.
He has collaborated with diverse teams to design impactful digital solutions, many of which have earned national and regional recognition. His work has been honored in innovation competitions such as the We Account Africa Social Innovation Challenge by Innovation for Change – Africa Hub, Kenya, and the Uganda National ICT Initiatives Innovation Challenge.
Area of Expertise
Topics
Beyond Connectivity: Rethinking Rural Broadband Through a Digital Rights and Inclusion Lens
Across Africa, rural broadband connectivity is expanding, opening new pathways for access to information, public services, opportunities and economic participation. Yet, connectivity alone does not guarantee meaningful digital inclusion or the protection of digital rights. This session critically examines whether rural broadband initiatives in the region intentionally integrate digital rights, gender equality, and inclusion, or whether they remain largely infrastructure-driven.
Drawing on WOUGNET’s rural broadband models and lessons from other connectivity initiatives across Africa, the session will demonstrate how digital rights and inclusion determine who truly benefits from rural connectivity. It will show how rural broadband can empower rather than exclude, serving as a tool for social transformation for marginalized communities, including women, youth and underserved populations.
The session will also explore the role of Governments, regulators, and funders, questioning how digital rights considerations are reflected in broadband policies, funding mechanisms, and implementation models. Through an interactive panel, participants will reflect on whether digital exclusion is mainly a connectivity gap or a broader rights and inclusion challenge.
Objective
To ensure rural broadband initiatives advance digital rights and inclusion for marginalized communities.
Outcome
Participants gain actionable insights to make rural connectivity empowering, equitable, and inclusive.
Bridging Digital Divides: Advancing Inclusive Access Through Rural Broadband Connectivity Models
In an increasingly digital world, reliable and affordable internet access has become a critical enabler for economic development, education, healthcare, and civic participation. However, significant disparities remain, particularly for rural communities in developing African countries. These communities often face deep-rooted barriers to digital inclusion, such as geographic isolation, insufficient infrastructure, socio-economic inequality, and restrictive gender norms. As a result, millions of people, particularly women, youth, and other marginalized groups, are excluded from opportunities within the digital economy and society at large.
This session, convened by WOUGNET and its partners, will explore the transformative role of rural broadband connectivity in bridging the digital divide. It will highlight how inclusive, community-driven connectivity models are closing access gaps and fostering meaningful digital inclusion in rural and underserved regions. Drawing on practical experiences and case studies from Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, the discussion will showcase innovative broadband initiatives, such as community network models and solar-powered internet hubs, that have successfully enhanced connectivity for marginalized populations.
Participants will also engage in a collaborative discussion on the structural and systemic challenges rural communities face in accessing digital technologies. These include inadequate policy and regulatory frameworks, high costs of connectivity, limited access to digital literacy programs, and persistent gender inequalities that limit women’s participation in the digital space. The session will also explore how locally-led, gender-sensitive connectivity initiatives can address these barriers by promoting affordability, sustainability, and community ownership.
By convening stakeholders from various sectors, this session aims to foster dialogue around scalable broadband models and policy recommendations that can be replicated across the continent. The discussion will focus on actionable strategies to empower women and other marginalized groups through inclusive internet access, thereby contributing to sustainable development and a more equitable digital future.
Objectives:
1. To explore the importance of rural broadband connectivity in fostering an inclusive digital economy and society.
2. To identify and discuss key barriers preventing gender-equitable access to digital technologies for marginalized populations in rural areas.
3. To present effective, replicable rural broadband connectivity models and community network approaches from Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa.
4. To propose actionable strategies and policy recommendations that ensure all individuals, especially women, youth, and marginalized groups, can meaningfully participate in the digital world.
Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) - 2025 Sessionize Event
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