European digital transformation for Roma girls' health: the case of Spain.

Abstract

The digital experiences of Roma girls are shaped through the Digital Determinants of Health (DDoH) such as poor housing conditions with limited digital infrastructure, under-resourced public schools in marginalized neighborhoods, and dominant narratives that overlook their capacities and contributions. Although the European digital transformation advances rapidly, it often fails to address the enduring impacts of structural antigypsyism across DDoH. This article addresses the following questions: (1) how do European digital transformation efforts respond to the impacts of historical antigypsyism on Roma girls' digital experiences? (2) What dynamics across societal, community, interpersonal, and individual levels shape the violation and protection of Roma girls' digital rights in marginalized neighborhoods? and (3) How can European digital transformation policies be operationalized to support a shift from impoverished to meaningful digital participation for Roma girls across all levels of the digital ecosystem? To answer these, the study employs a triangulation approach integrating policy analysis of relevant European strategies on digitalization and Roma inclusion, field observations from ongoing participatory research, and a targeted literature review providing theoretical and comparative grounding. The triangulation of these sources supports the development of an analytical framework for Roma Girls' Digital Rights that allows to map digital experiences through an ecological lens. By bridging policies with local realities, this paper provides actionable recommendations to operationalize macro-level policies with the everyday realities of Roma girls, ensuring that they can experience digitalization as a pathway to empowerment and as active contributors to Europe's digital future.