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This edition of the newsletter focuses on the gendered experiences of gig work.
While the gig economy exhibits some new features, on the whole it represents the continuation (and in some cases deepening) of long-standing structural, and gendered, inequalities. This means that, as the gig economy grows, focused action to leave no one behind becomes increasingly critical. At the same time, gig work is likely to be experienced differently in economies characterised by high levels of informality. Here, platform technologies have the potential to contribute to incremental improvements in labour conditions.
This edition features an infographic, along with readings on women's engagement with the gig economy across countries and sectors. The edition always includes information about our upcoming Careers Session, and jobs shared by members over WhatsApp. Happy Reading!
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This edition has been curated by Fizza Suhel, Prerna Kundu, Ria Dutta, Sharvari Ravishankar, and Vasanthi Swetha (who made the infographic).
From this edition onwards, we will be using the following key to denote whether a particular paper is open access:
(*) : Open Access
(#): Not Open Access
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Gender and the gig economy: critical steps for evidence-based policy (*) : This study tries to show how lack of knowledge critically limits the ability of policy-makers to understand women's experiences of the gig economy and, therefore, to develop evidence-based policy responses focused on economic empowerment focusing on low and middle-income countries and the gendered experiences of gig work. ;
India's Emerging Gig Economy: The future of Work for Women Workers (*) : This report aims to provide a comprehensive analytical overview of women's engagement in platform work, and presents findings from an in-depth study of women's work in India. It aims to understand the emerging forms of labour practices and the impact of platform engagement on workers' experiences, challenges, and impact on women's empowerment and agency.
Gender pay gap and occupational segregation have followed Indian women into gig economy (*) : This article looks at how the gig economy in India comes with limited social benefits and less bargaining power as age-old issues of occupational segregation and gender pay gaps follow women into the new platform-based gig economy.
Gender and the Gig Economy: A qualitative study of Gig platforms for women workers (*): This brief examines the existing literature on the problems faced by women gig workers and analyses the terms of use and privacy policy for a few platforms in India that cater to women gig workers. By scrutinising the platforms from a gender lens, this brief outlines the gaps that bar women's inclusion in gig work and provides helpful recommendations.
Women (Still) Ask For Less: Gender Differences in Hourly Rate in an Online Labor Marketplace (*) : The authors collected self-determined hourly bill rates from the public profiles of 48,019 workers in the United States (48.8% women) on Upwork, a popular gig work platform. The median female worker set hourly bill rates that were 74% of the median man's hourly bill rates, a gap than cannot be entirely explained by online and offline work experience, education level, and job category. To better support equality in the rapidly growing gig economy, they encourage continual evaluation of the complex gender dynamics on these platforms and discuss whose responsibility it is to address inequalities.
Women in the gig economy: Paid work, care and flexibility in Kenya and South Africa (*): This report presents findings from an in-depth study of women's engagement in the gig economy in Kenya and South Africa. It aims to understand the impact of this engagement on workers' lives, considering the quality of work on offer and its implications for workers' management of paid work and unpaid care and domestic work. The report argues that policy-makers and platform companies should play a central role in ensuring high-quality work, including improving economic security, supporting unpaid work, giving workers more control over schedules, ensuring their safety, and basing policy and practice on worker preferences – which also requires fostering collective action.
The Gender Earnings Gap in the Gig Economy: Evidence from over a Million Rideshare Drivers (*) : The growth of the “gig" economy generates worker flexibility that, some have speculated, will favor women. The authors explore this by examining labor supply choices and earnings among more than a million rideshare drivers on Uber in the U.S. They document a roughly 7% gender earnings gap amongst drivers. They completely explain this gap and show that it can be entirely attributed to three factors: experience on the platform (learning-by-doing), preferences over where to work (driven largely by where drivers live and, to a lesser extent, safety), and preferences for driving speed.
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Attend our upcoming session!
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Attend our Panel Session on Careers in Think Tanks on Saturday, 6th February at 6 pm IST! Tanushree Chandra (ORF), Sanjana Malhotra (Accountability Initiative) and Harshita Agarwal (IDFC Institute) will be talking about their experience in the sector so far, application process for the job, future prospects and taking your questions!
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Read work by fellow members
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Mekhla Jha (along with co-authors) writes about the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). Read the policy brief here.
Shivani Gupta writes about the farmer protests in India and the importance of Mandis. Read the article here.
Harshita Agarwal and Kadambari Shah (along with co-authors) interviewed Indian and international experts to discuss the future of urban India. Read their report here.
Shreya Chaturvedi writes about how sharing information about vaccination strategically can promote behavioural changes and influence public opinion. Read the article here.
Ria Kasliwal writes about climate-smart crops (here) and how COVID-19 adds to the woes of India's underpaid and overworked care workers (here)
Ishita Kirti writes about smart metering, macroeconomic variables that affect exchange rate, and economic policy uncertainty in India. You can find her pieces here.
Bishnupriya Bagh (along with co-authors) writes about the gendered impact of the AI industry. Read the paper here.
Anagha writes about the complexities of home-based workers. Read the article here.
Gema Zamarro, and her co-author write about gender differences in couples’ division of childcare, work and mental health during COVID-19. Read the paper here.
Michela Giorcelli, and her co-author write about copyrights and creativity in Italy during the Napoleonic age. Read the paper here.
Shraddha Shrivastava and Rituparna Sanyal write about lessons from the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India amid COVID-19. Read the article here.
Vedavati Patwardhan (along with co-authors) writes about the economic benefits of empowering women in agriculture. Read the paper here.
Read Ojasvi Ghai's blog piece titled "The Shades between Black and White" here.
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Browse jobs and fellowships shared by members
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Note: These are jobs shared by members over WhatsApp over the last 2 weeks. Please check if positions are still open before applying. If you are thinking about applying to one of these, you can also drop a message on the WhatsApp group or on the google group to connect with members currently working in these organisations.
1. Fellowships:
2. Job Openings:
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