A Human Rights Approach to Digital Inclusion Mhor Collective

Soft Edges, Hard Realities: Understanding Digital Inequality for Women in Contact with Services

A three‑hour interactive session for justice, health, social care, housing, community and policing staff

Across Scotland, women experiencing poverty, trauma, homelessness, exploitation or abuse are being asked to navigate increasingly digital public services — from appointments and benefits to justice processes and health care. But for many, digital engagement isn’t simply a skills issue. It’s shaped by fear, surveillance, coercive control, shame, safety concerns, and the cumulative impact of trauma.

This session, delivered by Mhor Collective in partnership with Soft Edges at Simon Community Scotland, invites practitioners to step into the lived realities behind “non‑engagement”. We’ll explore how digital inequality shows up in women’s lives, why digital routes can feel unsafe or inaccessible, and what a trauma‑informed, relational response looks like in practice across justice, health and policing settings.

Expect a session that is practical, reflective, and rooted in real staff and women's experiences,  with clear takeaways you can apply the same day.

What we’ll cover

· Digital inequality as a gendered and trauma-linked issue
How poverty, coercive control, homelessness, and system contact shape women’s digital access, confidence and safety.

· Why women may not engage digitally
Beyond “won’t engage”: fear of being monitored, literacy barriers, device poverty, data scarcity, mistrust, shame, and previous harmful encounters with digital systems.

· Learning from Soft Edges
Insights from frontline digital inclusion work with women experiencing homelessness, exploitation and trauma : what helps, what harms, and what staff often miss.

· Trauma‑informed digital practice
Practical approaches: relational check‑ins, choice and control, safer digital pathways, and reducing digital harm.

· Building trust in hybrid service models
How we create trust in digital services in ways that feel human, flexible and safe for women with complex experiences.

Who is this for

Staff across justice, health, policing, social work, housing, community safety, and frontline support roles who want to strengthen their understanding of digital inequality and embed trauma‑informed digital practice.

A three hour session, in real life combining short inputs, real‑world scenarios, reflective discussion, and practical tools you can take back to your team.

Learning outcomes

Participants will leave with:

· A clearer understanding of how digital inequality intersects with trauma, gender and system contact.

· Increased confidence in recognising when digital routes may be unsafe or inaccessible.

· Practical trauma‑informed strategies for supporting women who are digitally excluded or digitally cautious.

The link for your session will be sent at the end of the week before the session you've booked onto. This will be sent from [email protected] 
If you haven't received an email, check your junk and spam folders.
This training is delivered by Mhor Collective ( https://www.mhorcollective.com/) · Tools for creating safer, more flexible digital and hybrid engagement pathways, including rights and reporting