Digital literacy: gap in northern Sri Lanka still wide
A report by the University of Vavuniya in collaboration with The Gate Institute shows “significant gaps”, especially among the elderly, economically disadvantaged groups and women in areas affected by the country’s civil long war (1983-2009). The district of Mannar appears to have the highest connectivity rate. The potential of young people was emphasised.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Although basic digital skills, like using phones and saving contacts, are almost universal, a significant gap – especially among senior citizens, economically disadvantaged groups and women – exists in northern Sri Lanka, where civil war raged until 15 years ago causing the death of 80,000 people.
Such a situation requires urgent action to educate and train people in advanced skills, this according to Bridging the digital divide, a study in digital literacy by the University of Vavuniya in collaboration with The Gate Institute undertaken in Vanni, a region in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.
Referring to UNESCO's Digital Literacy Global Framework, the research identifies barriers, explores variables such as gender and socioeconomic status, and suggests good policy practices to ensure digital inclusion for everyone, highlighting unequal access to infrastructure and digital skills in the districts of Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Mannar.
Advanced skills, which are the least developed, include, for example, the use of email, mobile banking applications, and job search skills, which are essential to access opportunities, and empower disadvantaged people.
Persisting gender inequality means that women report lower participation in advanced digital tasks; for this reason, targeted programmes should help bridge this gap by increasing women’s involvement in advanced use.
Socioeconomic disparities are another critical factor, noted the report. Policymakers must prioritise expanding digital infrastructure and provide subsidised devices to low-income households to enable development.
The study underlines the potential of young people as a key demographic, as younger respondents show greater mastery of advanced digital skills. By leveraging their skills through digital literacy programmes led by them, the skills gap can be bridged, bringing generations together.
In addition, the findings suggest that systemic and economic factors, rather than the availability of electricity or smartphones, are the main barriers to Internet access, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies to ensure equitable digital inclusion.
By implementing the report’s recommendations, Sri Lanka can strengthen its communities, align with global standards, and progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Digital infrastructure access
The study reveals that smartphones are the most widely available digital devices, with 92.3 per cent of households owning at least one. Mannar leads in smartphone penetration, with 98.85 per cent of households reporting ownership. Internet access is relatively high across the three districts, with Mannar showing the highest connectivity rate at 90.48 per cent, followed by Vavuniya (85.86 per cent) and Mullaitivu (85.41 per cent). Mobile connections dominate as the primary means of Internet access, while broadband usage remains limited. In contrast, ownership of computers and tablets is significantly lower, with only 12 per cent of households owning a computer and 5.4 per cent owning a tablet.
Digital literacy skills
Proficiency in digital skills varies significantly across basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. Foundational tasks such as charging devices, making calls, and saving contacts exhibit high proficiency rates, exceeding 95 per cent. Moderate proficiency is observed in tasks like web browsing (79 per cent) and conducting keyword searches (83 per cent). However, advanced skills show significant gaps, with only about 50 per cent of respondents proficient in email-related tasks like creating, reading, and sending emails, and 17 per cent finding employment through websites and social media, and only 30 per cent accessing online government services.
Gender disparities
Device ownership and skill proficiency vary according to gender. While ownership of computers and laptops is higher among males who can outperform females in advanced skills like online research and email usage, women are somewhat better in basic tasks like saving contacts. This probably reflects potential differences in access and usage patterns.
Age-based trends
Clear age-based trends in digital literacy emerge from the study. Younger respondents, particularly those in the 12–18 age group, show greater proficiency in advanced digital skills, like social media usage and online browsing, whereas older respondents (30 to 40 age group) show greater proficiency in basic tasks like making phone calls and operating devices.
Socioeconomic Gaps
Finally, the study shows a strong correlation between wealth and digital literacy. Better-off households exhibit better proficiency in advanced skills like web browsing and email usage. Nevertheless, basic skills are consistent across all socioeconomic groups, suggesting that foundational competencies are less influenced by economic disparities.
All the findings underscore the need for interventions that target gaps in advanced digital skills, bridge gender disparities, and improve access to digital infrastructure in underserved communities.
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