Emilar Gandhi

Head of Inclusivity in Policy Development, Meta

Emilar Gandhi is the Head of Inclusivity in Policy Development at Meta. In this role, she leads the Content Policy Stakeholder Engagement team in building a global inclusive stakeholder base. She previously served as the company's Head of Public Policy, where she led on engaging with governments, civil society, and other policy influencers and shaping Facebook's policy agenda across sixteen countries in the Southern African region. Before joining Facebook in 2016, Emilar spent over a decade working with Civil Society Organisations at the intersection of human rights, technology, and internet governance across Africa. She is the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of the Freedom Online Coalition - a group of countries committed to protecting and promoting online freedoms. Emilar holds postgraduate qualifications in Governance and Political Transformation, including an MPhil from Stellenbosch University.

Sessions

1 December, 16:45, UTC

Promoting Meaningful, Equitable Internet Access

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This interactive session will enable panellists to discuss varied digital inclusion efforts in their unique contexts in order to together derive a more nuanced view of digital divides and inclusion efforts. It will enable participants to draw on empirical lessons from research and practice to recalibrate their focus on promoting access to rather promoting meaningful, equitable access - or digital equality - while also addressing the risks that accompany access to and use of digital technologies.

30 November, 14:00, UTC

Opening Plenary: Open and Accessible Internet for All

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The Opening Plenary of the Freedom Online Conference will focus on the current challenges and opportunities for achieving open and accessible internet for all. The Plenary will discuss the progress toward global connectivity, overcoming existing digital divides and growing digital authoritarianism, and the steps toward achieving open and accessible internet and human rights for all.