Tamale: Professor Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic, Professor of Agriculture Engineering at the University for Development Studies, has called for urgent and inclusive measures to bridge the digital gap to ensure a just transition. She highlighted that while artificial intelligence, big data, and digital technologies are increasingly promoted as solutions to socio-economic challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana, structural inequalities continue to prevent many from benefiting from the digital transformation agenda.
According to Ghana News Agency, Professor Kranjac-Berisavljevic made this call during her presentation at a two-day conference on climate change and food security in Tamale. Her topic was 'Gender-sensitive Climate Adaptation for Sustainable Livelihoods and Food Security in Northern Ghana - Options for Digital Transformation'. The conference, organized by Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities, and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, aimed to launch a study on gender-sensitive climate change adaptation for sustainable livelihoods in Northern Ghana. It also sought to deliberate on climate change, food security, and their effects on vulnerable populations, especially women, and to generate actionable recommendations to minimize these effects in the northern part of the country.
Participants at the conference included representatives from public institutions, academia, civil society organizations, and development partners from the five regions in the north. Professor Kranjac-Berisavljevic emphasized that socio-cultural norms, unequal access to economic opportunities, and the gendered division of labor are deeply embedded in society and continue to affect women's livelihoods and participation in digital transformation.
She noted that the ongoing push towards digitalization, smart agriculture, and modernization across sectors is not adequately aligned with the principles of a 'just transition', which seeks to ensure that everyone benefits from technological advancements. Professor Kranjac-Berisavljevic stressed that the current approach to digitalization and modernization of agriculture and other sectors is not in sync with the concept of a just transition.
She explained that a just transition means everyone should be able to participate in and adapt to digital and smart systems. However, current realities show that many people are left behind due to illiteracy, poverty, and geographical barriers. Professor Kranjac-Berisavljevic observed that implementing digital technologies cannot be uniform since different groups face different challenges based on educational levels, economic conditions, and access to infrastructure.
She called for support for diverse participation in technology development, local content creation, and ICT innovation, while emphasizing the need to safeguard online privacy, especially for women and girls.