With AI enabled technology becoming commonplace, the UN System is beginning to take advantage of the latest digital tools to bring gender equality closer to reality
Village leaders in Indonesia testing STRIVE, a UNDP-backed AI tool
Indonesia: A stronger voice in the community
In Indonesia’s 75,000 villages, decisions tend be made by middle-aged men, who are more likely to attend open debates and meetings.
“Participation in village meetings is male dominated, and open voting can lead to stigmatization of those who may not agree with the head of the village, suppressing open discussion,” explains Dhany Oktaviany, the project manager of Social Innovation Platform (SIP).
SIP, a project run by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in support of Indonesia’s Ministry of Village, aims to change this situation. As part of SIP, an AI-enabled digital tool gathers the aspirations of villagers and generates recommendations for subsequent village planning.
The application allows the village to send ideas in a wide variety of ways, from photos and videos to text and audio. They can also submit ideas anonymously, allowing different viewpoints to be expressed.
Reforming the UN
“Across the Asia Pacific region, we are working to build the capacity of the UN system to take advantage of the latest technological trends and thereby accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” says David McLachlan-Karr, Director for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Development Coordination Office. “These projects are a great example of technological innovation at the UN, which is at the heart of the Secretary General’s reform agenda to make the UN more fit for the needs of the 21st century.”