Owning a mobile phone and having access to the internet can change lives. Yet millions of women in developing countries are unable to take advantage of the mobile internet. The main reasons for this are lack of literacy and digital skills.

Together, we can change this. Open Source for Equality (OSEQ, OSEQ.org) is a global initiative to promote the development and use of free and open software that bridges the digital gender gap.

Community Health Worker introducing the Audiopedia Web App, part of the Open Source for Equality project, in Ngenevu, Nigeria

Hacking Gender Equality

The aim of OSEQ is to bring together software developers, content creators, development organizations and to create local ecosystems where open software for development thrives. OSEQ-powered projects have been implemented in Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Nicaragua.

Digital Public Goods (DPGs) like those developed by OSEQ are one of the cornerstones of the UNs roadmap to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They can be defined as open-source software, open data, open AI models, open standards, and open content that help attain the SDGs.

Digital Public Goods play an important role in three major aspects: they can help bridge digital gaps by providing accessible digital tools, they can help local organizations in their digital transformation process and they can provide income generating opportunities for local entrepreneurs, developers and content creators.

OSEQ is lead by Audiopedia Foundation, a pioneering nonprofit organization in the field of accessible education for marginalized women.