The global economy is changing. Last week we ran a story about making the most of your job in the gig economy, but how does the rapidly growing gig economy pan out for women? Unfortunately, while the national wage gap hovers around $10,000 per year, a recent analysis found the average female freelancer makes 35% less per project than her male counterparts. So, how can we rectify this?
According to Renan Barzilay, a researcher of gender inequality, we need to understand that gender discrimination in the labor market is casting a shadow on interactions in the gig economy and is enabling the dynamic of women’s undervaluation. This is because women have long been “taught” to earn less in the labor market, and so if we are adamant about striving for gender equality in the gig economy, we need to be simultaneously concerned with ways to enhance women’s equality in the general labor market.
Secondly, the platforms used in the gig economy need to become more transparent, so that women know what others are charging for the same services. The platforms could publish reasonable hourly rates, or suggest hourly rates to users.
And finally, moving forward means figuring out how to challenge gender discrimination throughout the broader labor market.
