Digital Public Infrastructure is increasingly promoted across Africa as a foundation for digital government, financial inclusion, and public service delivery. National digital identity systems, interoperable data platforms, and digital payment infrastructures are expanding rapidly. Evidence from recent deployments indicates that efficiency driven design priorities often overshadow inclusion, rights protection, and accountability.

This session presents findings from comparative research conducted in Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa examining how digital public infrastructure governance choices affect women, ethnic minorities, and other marginalised communities. The research identifies structural barriers embedded in system design, data governance frameworks, and institutional accountability arrangements. These barriers include exclusion from identity registration processes, gendered patterns of access to digital services, and limited mechanisms for redress when digital harms occur.

The discussion moves beyond problem identification to examine practical governance responses relevant to West African contexts. Participants will analyse how gender responsive design principles, rights respecting data governance frameworks, and institutional accountability mechanisms can be integrated into digital public infrastructure programmes. The session will draw lessons from the African experience to support policymakers, regulators, and civil society actors working to build inclusive and trusted digital systems.

Expected outcomes include concrete policy recommendations for embedding gender by design approaches in digital public infrastructure governance and strengthening accountability mechanisms for digital systems deployed in public administration.