- Data suggests that 83% of married women engaged in gig work are sole earners, challenging traditional earning roles
- Male job cuts, migration, and pandemic stresses are speeding this shift
- Digital literacy, public-facing roles, and cultural norms contribute to impact women’s gig participation
New research from a government-backed think tank shows that almost 83% of sole-earning women in the gig economy are married, signaling a growing reconfiguration of household earning patters. The change is attributed to job losses among men, migration factors, and pandemic-included distress.
This shift is a clear indicator of greater acceptance of new gender roles and structural flexibility of gig platforms, which allow work-life integration. Research indicates that 16.3% of surveyed women in Delhi-NCR function as sole earners, underscoring the growing role of the gig economy.
“The intersection of sole earning patterns and marital status provides an interesting insight. Interestingly, among those who are sole earners, 82.7 per cent are still married, which may reflect a growing, although limited shift in household dependency patterns, potentially driven by male job loss, migration or to overcome the economic crisis due to the pandemic,” the study by the labour ministry-affiliated VV Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI) notes. The study notes that such work provides flexible income opportunities for women, with 37% earning ₹15,000–20,000, while only 0.3% earn above ₹35,000.
Dhanya M.B, fellow at VVGNLI, emphasized that women are leveraging gig work for economic independence. “However, they continue to primarily occupy the role of secondary earners. A lesser proportion of women workers report themselves as being sole earners and central to the household incomes,” she added.
Research shows women’s gig participation is shaped by digital access, delivery work conditions, and cultural barriers. Of sole earners, 17% are widowed, divorced, or separated, highlighting their financial burden, while no unmarried women were sole earners, reflecting continued family dependency.
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