Platform-based transport no easy gig for women

The gig economy with its flexible employment opportunities should have worked well for women, but it has not delivered yet.

- Lalita Panicker

Let us look at the on-demand ride hailing and delivery sector, where less than 1% of the drivers in India are women.

A recent report by Safetipin, in partnership with GIZ Women Mobilize Women (WMW), looks at the barriers women face in the on-demand transport-based gig economy in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The sector has always been male-dominated. Women face numerous obstacles, threats to their physical safety with heightened risk of sexual violence at the hands of both customers and colleagues being the primary one.

Expectations that women should prioritize caregiving over paid work make it difficult for them to commit to gig work's demanding hours. Participating women are frequently paid less than their male counterparts, perpetuating the gender pay gap. High material investment costs, such as obtaining driving licences and purchasing vehicles, present significant hurdles.

The financial exclusion is stark as many women lack access to bank accounts, making it difficult to receive payments from gig platforms.