Gender Gaps in Digital Labour Platforms

Dear Colleagues,

Despite considerable debate on digital work platforms, studies incorporating gender perspectives remain uncommon. 

We seek contributions to provide a gender analysis of digital labour platforms in different parts of the world, beginning with the assumption that technology is not gender-neutral, and employment patterns in the platform economy might echo those of the traditional labour market. We are particularly interested in empirical findings on female access to platform work, occupational segregation, and precarious organizational and working conditions. 

The available empirical evidence suggests that platform work does not present itself as a completely free choice, but rather as a source of employment opportunities for the integration of women as a disadvantaged group lacking better options. 

To date, the digital labour market has not been able to deliver on the promises of flexibility and increased female labour participation that could have produced greater gender equality. This is not necessarily because of the platforms themselves, but because of the lack of policies that address the unequal organization of productive and reproductive labour, both online and offline. 

The goal of policy and social partners should, then, be to ensure effective labour protection within these new employment patterns. This would prevent platforms perpetuating exploitative female labour practices, amplifying existing gender gaps, and promising unsubstantiated revolutions of increased flexibility and equality.  

Prof. Dr. Marcella Corsi
Dr. Cirillo Valeria
Dr. Zacchia Giulia
Guest Editors

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