As Africa’s digital economy expands rapidly, millions of people remain excluded from meaningful participation due to structural inequalities, weak policy implementation, and limited awareness of digital rights. While access to the internet is improving, access alone does not guarantee inclusion, safety, or the protection of fundamental rights online.

This session will explore digital rights and inclusion beyond connectivity, focusing on how governments, civil society, the private sector, and communities can work together to ensure that digital transformation is people-centred, rights-respecting, and inclusive. It will examine key issues such as data protection and privacy, freedom of expression, digital literacy, gender and disability inclusion, and the impact of emerging technologies on marginalized populations.

Using African case studies, policy examples, and lived experiences, the session will highlight practical strategies for embedding digital rights into national digital agendas and for closing persistent inclusion gaps. Participants will be encouraged to critically assess existing frameworks and to identify concrete actions that can be taken at local, national, and regional levels.