Experts Discuss Policies to Help Women in Indian Platform Economy

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 9 December 2025

• According to experts, Indian women can gain more from India's platform economy by virtue of gender-friendly policies
• Gender, financial inclusion, and social protection in digital work were discussed

According to experts, gender-inclusive policies, better financial access, and more substantial social protection will help increase income opportunities for women in India’s platform economy.

The discussion came at a roundtable jointly organised by the International Labour Organisation and the National Council of Applied Economic Research on Monday. The event was titled “Building Inclusive Economies Gender, Financial Inclusion, and Platform Workforce.”

It saw senior government officials, ILO representatives, NCAER researchers, and platform companies present to discuss how gender, financial inclusion, and social protection interact in the digital labour market.

In his keynote address, Member NITI Aayog Dr. Arvind Virmani emphasized skill development and increasing workforce participation of females for sustaining India’s economic growth.

Vandana Gurnani, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, further emphasized the commitment of the government for facilitating women's participation through policy-level measures and recently notified labour codes on universal minimum wages, non-discrimination, workplace safety, and extended social security for platform workers.

Dr. Ratna Sahay, chief of NCAER’s Centre for Gender and the Macroeconomy, underscored the need to remove impediments based on gender and extends financial inclusion opportunities for women, as greater financial inclusion for women supports economic growth while decreasing inequality.

ILO Country Director Michiko Miyamoto observed that some of the world’s most dynamic platform-based business models are located within India.

Sonali Sengupta, Executive Director at the Reserve Bank of India, heralded ongoing gains in financial inclusion and announced that new fintech tools, including the Unified Lending Interface, would further expand women's access to credit.

NCAER's Bornali Bhandari explained that platform work offers flexibility that many women value but identified challenges such as limited access to smartphones, two-wheelers, bank accounts, and the high cost of entry.

According to Dr. Radhicka Kapoor of the ILO, women experience “triple barriers” to entry, retention and advancement in platform-based occupations.

Consequently, it is necessary to decrease gender-based discrimination in financial service delivery systems. Similarly, Mariko Ouchi of the ILO argues that extending social protection to workers within the platforms is a fundamental right.

The data presented at this session validated the existence of gender gaps regarding participation in digital economy activities particularly the significant under-representation of women on geographic platforms and the lower average income of female workers (compared to male workers) and an increased concentration of women in lower-paying jobs.

Finally, the session reached agreement among experts that all future efforts by policymakers to leverage the digital economy, include working towards the elimination of all forms of gender discrimination regarding access to digital technology, proper financial services and benefits; and provide access to social security benefits, so that women will be able to engage in productive activities and participate equally in the digital economy.