Digital Inclusion and Social Justice: Analyzing the Impact of Smart Villages in Indonesia
Downloads
Background: Digital inclusion is crucial for fostering social justice, particularly in rural areas. The advent of smart villages, empowered by digital technologies, has the potential to transform remote communities in Indonesia. This study explores the impact of smart village initiatives on improving access to technology, education, and economic opportunities, thereby contributing to social justice and equity.
Purpose: This research aims to analyze how smart village programs in Indonesia contribute to digital inclusion and social justice. It examines the role of technology in bridging the digital divide in rural areas and assesses how these initiatives influence social equity, economic growth, and community empowerment.
Method: A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from surveys conducted with residents of various smart villages in Indonesia, and qualitative interviews with local leaders and policymakers. Statistical methods were used to analyze the impact of smart village programs on key indicators such as access to information, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
Results: The findings reveal that smart village initiatives have significantly improved digital access and social services, thereby promoting social justice. However, challenges remain in terms of technological infrastructure, digital literacy, and equitable access across different rural regions. While some villages have shown notable advancements in community empowerment and economic opportunities, others continue to face barriers in fully utilizing digital technologies.
Conclusion: The study underscores the potential of smart villages as a means to advance digital inclusion and social justice in rural Indonesia. However, for these initiatives to be truly transformative, ongoing efforts are required to address the challenges of infrastructure, literacy, and inclusivity. Policymakers and educators must collaborate to ensure that digital technologies are accessible and beneficial to all, particularly marginalized communities in rural areas.
Afjal, M. (2023). Bridging the financial divide: A bibliometric analysis on the role of digital financial services within FinTech in enhancing financial inclusion and economic development. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02086-y
Bitman, N. (2022). “Authentic” digital inclusion? Dis/ability performances on social media by users with concealable communicative disabilities. New Media and Society, 24(2), 401–419. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211063183
Chinoda, T. (2024). Digital financial inclusion and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: The role of institutions and governance. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 15(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-09-2022-0372
Ding, T. (2023). Can Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) effectively alleviate residents’ poverty by increasing household entrepreneurship?–an empirical study based on the China Household Finance Survey?CHFS?. Applied Economics, 55(59), 6965–6977. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2023.2170971
Ding, X. (2022). Can the development of digital financial inclusion curb carbon emissions? Empirical test from spatial perspective. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1045878
Elouardighi, I. (2023). Can Digital Financial Inclusion Promote Women’s Labor Force Participation? Microlevel Evidence from Africa. International Journal of Financial Studies, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs11030087
Feng, S. (2022). Digital financial development and ecological footprint: Evidence from green-biased technology innovation and environmental inclusion. Journal of Cleaner Production, 380(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135069
Giest, S. (2023). Administrative burden in digital public service delivery: The social infrastructure of library programs for e-inclusion. Review of Policy Research, 40(5), 626–645. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12516
Goggin, G. (2022). Automated decision-making, digital inclusion and intersectional disabilities. New Media and Society, 24(2), 384–400. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211063173
Guo, Q. (2023). An empirical analysis of the nexus between digital financial inclusion, industrial structure distortion, and China’s energy intensity. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(17), 49397–49411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25323-y
Islam, A. Y. M. A. (2024). Analyzing the impact of technology incentives on community digital inclusion using structural equation modeling. Library Hi Tech, 42(3), 826–848. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-07-2021-0226
Johnen, C. (2023). Digital credit and the gender gap in financial inclusion: Empirical evidence from Kenya. Journal of International Development, 35(2), 272–295. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3687
Lee, C. C. (2022). Digital financial inclusion and carbon neutrality: Evidence from non-linear analysis. Resources Policy, 79(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.102974
Lei, X. (2024). Carbon reduction effects of digital financial inclusion: Evidence from the county-scale in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 451(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142098
Li, W. (2024). Bridging the green gap: How digital financial inclusion affects corporate ESG greenwashing. Finance Research Letters, 69(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2024.106018
McCosker, A. (2023). Accounting for diversity in older adults’ digital inclusion and literacy: The impact of a national intervention. Ageing and Society, 43(11), 2629–2649. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21001550
Mhlanga, D. (2023). Block chain technology for digital financial inclusion in the industry 4.0, towards sustainable development? Frontiers in Blockchain, 6(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2023.1035405
Morte-Nadal, T. (2022). Digital Competences for Improving Digital Inclusion in E-Government Services: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Protocol. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211070935
Mukalayi, N. M. (2023). Digital financial inclusion and energy and environment: Global positioning of Sub-Saharan African countries. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 173(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.113069
Niu, G. (2022). Broadband infrastructure and digital financial inclusion in rural China. China Economic Review, 76(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2022.101853
Ozili, P. K. (2022a). Can Central Bank Digital Currency Increase Financial Inclusion? Arguments for and Against. Big Data Analytics in the Insurance Market, Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18, 241–249. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-637-720221013
Ozili, P. K. (2022b). Digital financial inclusion. Big Data A Game Changer for Insurance Industry, Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18, 229–238. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-605-620221015
Ozili, P. K. (2023). Determinants of interest in eNaira and financial inclusion information in Nigeria: Role of FinTech, cryptocurrency and central bank digital currency. Digital Transformation and Society, 2(2), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1108/DTS-08-2022-0040
Quialheiro, A. (2022). A comprehensive program of cognitive stimulation with digital inclusion, physical activity and social interaction can modify BDNF levels and improve cognition in adults over 50: A randomized controlled pilot study. Aging and Mental Health, 26(10), 1979–1987. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1966742
Quoc, H. N. (2025). Assessing digital financial inclusion and financial crises: The role of financial development in shielding against shocks. Heliyon, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41231
Rawat, R. (2023). Artificial Narrow Intelligence Techniques in Intelligent Digital Financial Inclusion System for Digital Society. 2023 6th International Conference on Information Systems and Computer Networks Iscon 2023, Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISCON57294.2023.10112133
Ritchie, H. A. (2022). An institutional perspective to bridging the divide: The case of Somali women refugees fostering digital inclusion in the volatile context of urban Kenya. New Media and Society, 24(2), 345–364. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211063186
Smit, A. (2025). Bypassing digital literacy: Marginalized citizens’ tactics for participation and inclusion in digital societies. New Media and Society, 27(6), 3127–3145. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231220383
Tan, B. J. (2024). Central bank digital currency and financial inclusion. Journal of Macroeconomics, 81(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmacro.2024.103620
Van, H. N. (2025). Assessing the Impact of Digital Financial Inclusion on Sustainable Development Goals: Analyzing Differences by Financial Development Levels Across Countries. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 16(4), 15140–15163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02515-6
Wang, X. (2022). Can digital financial inclusion affect CO2 emissions of China at the prefecture level? Evidence from a spatial econometric approach. Energy Economics, 109(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2022.105966
Wang, Y. Z. (2025). Digital development and rural financial inclusion: Evidence from China. Research in International Business and Finance, 73(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2024.102637
Xue, L. (2022). Can Digital Financial Inclusion Promote Green Innovation in Heavily Polluting Companies? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127323
Yang, L. (2022). Assessing the impact of digital financial inclusion on PM2.5 concentration: Evidence from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(15), 22547–22554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17030-3
Yang, X. (2022). Can digital financial inclusion promote female entrepreneurship? Evidence and mechanisms. North American Journal of Economics and Finance, 63(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.najef.2022.101800
Zallio, M. (2022). Designing the metaverse: A study on inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety for digital immersive environments. Telematics and Informatics, 75(Query date: 2025-11-10 23:48:18). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2022.101909
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhtar Muhtar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
