20/12/2023
FSG
Yesterday, Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) presented its new project Actualíza_TEC "Digital equality for the Roma community", an initiative launched to alleviate the digital divide that many Roma people still suffer.The presentation ceremony was opened by Sara Giménez, President of FSG, Lola Ruíz, Deputy Director of Programmes of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, and María Canal, Economic Advisor of the European Commission in Spain. Also members of third sector entities and other public and private entities, representatives of collaborating companies, as well as participants of the foundation's programmes, attended the event.
Digital transformation is one of the greatest challenges that society is facing. But it can also be a threat to the most vulnerable groups if it contributes to the chronification of the most structural conditions of exclusion, inequality and discrimination. Roma people cannot be left behind, but must have equal access to digital services and be placed as protagonists in the digitalisation processes.
The digital divide experienced by the Roma population is manifested in two ways: the lack of equipment and the lack of digital skills and competences. Several recent FSG studies show the depth of the digital divide between Roma families and society as a whole. Compared to 93.9% access to the internet for society as a whole, for Roma families it stands at 79.4%. Households with internet connection are 95.9% for society as a whole and only 78% for Roma families. And while access to educational devices is 83.7% for society as a whole, for Roma families it is 43.3%.
With regard to the gap in the educational sphere, the educational centres where most Roma students study are not prepared to compensate for the inequality of Roma households. Access to digital resources in these centres is lower than the average for Spanish educational centres, at 58%, compared to 66% for Spain as a whole.
The number of computers per student also varies according to the school: one computer for every 7 children in schools where most Roma children study, compared to one for every 3 pupils on average in other schools.
Although some Roma families have electronic devices, they are not mainly used for educational purposes: 31% have a tablet and 22% have a personal computer, but in two thirds of households they are not used for studying.
Since 2022, Fundación Secretariado Gitano has a roadmap for digitalisation: the Digitalisation and Innovation Plan and its Services. This strategy is part of the policy line that promotes digital transformation in Spain and in the European Union and that, among other aspects, aims to ensure that by 2026 80% of people in Spain acquire basic digital skills and that a humanist and inclusive transformation process is implemented.
Therefore, this digital transformation process involves significant progress in the digitisation of some of the services offered by FSG in relation to employment, education, social inclusion and anti-discrimination for Roma people.
Among the actions already underway are the creation of a mobile app to improve management and communication with programme participants; Digital Classrooms at all our offices in Spain; renewal of staff computers and other equipment; Digital training plan for staff, volunteers and participants; improvement of internal and external communication channels; public access to the documentary collection of our library; cybersecurity project; automation of processes and new internal management tools, new digital marketing tools, improved management of our social and volunteer base; improved interoperability with public administrations that allow for greater advocacy with public authorities and other agents to better combat antigypsyism and contribute to eliminating the discriminatory bias of technology.
The “Actualíza_TEC” project is financed through the call for grants for the modernisation of the Third Sector 2023 of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, financed by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the NextGeneration EU Funds of the European Union.
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