Digital Divide Among Marginalized Rural Communities in Developing Countries: Strategies and Practices to Reduce the ‘Proxy Use of ICTs’ for Rural e-Governance

Marginalized rural communities in developing countries experience a significant digital divide, preventing their ‘direct interaction’ with ICTs and depend on ‘proxy use’ via telecenters/kiosks to access rural e-governance services. We examine rural e-governance strategies and practices that might address the complexities of rural contexts in developing countries. Specifically, we study the factors that promote the “direct use of ICTs” among marginalized rural populations, aiming to reduce their future reliance on “proxy use”. We employ a mixed-methods approach, combining in-depth interviews with the DEMATEL, a decision-making technique for identifying cause-and-effect chain components of complex systems. We utilize IS theories and literature to identify strategy and practice factors, and supplement these by conducting interviews with experts. These factors were analyzed using DEMATEL to develop an empirical framework depicting the causal linkages between them. Our findings reveal two novel strategies—software artifacts with easy setup and digital inclusion for insurance—and two novel practices: ICT artifact interface and awareness, which require a targeted approach for marginalized rural users to reduce their 'proxy-use'. This study makes a significant contribution to digital divide and rural e-governance research, offering valuable insights for stakeholders to support digital inclusion and promote the social upliftment of marginalized rural populations.