On 4th June 2026, a panel discussion titled “Women in the Platform Economy: Evidence, Accountability and Algorithmic Governance” which explored women’s participation in India’s platform economy.

The session was moderated by Sruthi Kutty (IWWAGE), and featured speakers Bidisha Mondal and Prakriti Sharma from IWWAGE.

The discussion focused on:

• Women’s Entry into Platform Work
  Digital platforms are creating new opportunities for women to enter paid employment. Evidence from IWWAGE’s research shows that 45% of women platform workers joined the workforce for the first time through platform work, compared to 27% of men. However, access alone does not guarantee stable or predictable livelihoods.
• Flexibility in Practice 
  While flexibility remains one of the biggest attractions of platform work, women’s choices are often shaped by platform incentives and earnings structures. As a result, many workers report spending longer hours on platforms to maintain income and access performance-linked benefits.
• Access to Support and Redress
  Grievance redressal mechanisms have evolved alongside the growth of platforms, with greater reliance on digital and automated systems. Strengthening access to responsive, human-supported, and multilingual channels remains an important consideration for sustaining workers’ trust.
• Policy Developments
  Five states have now enacted gig worker legislation. While these frameworks strengthen welfare and social security provisions, questions around earnings, worker representation, and platform accountability remain central to ongoing policy discussions. Watch

The discussion aimed to surface where platform work creates genuine opportunity for women, where the gaps lie, and what policy, platform-level and advocacy responses are needed.

Watch the session recording here.

Click here to access the event proceedings.