Technology and the internet are already considered as essential skills that helped humanity to solve several issues specially related to information access, cost reductions and minimizing times. Currently, it can be seen how they also collaborate with gender equality, especially when it comes to financial inclusion.
Today, the internet is so much more than just simple websites or blogs. Through a notebook or a smartphone, anybody can access countless and completely diverse products and services.
A great boom, especially on continents where the internet was not fully developed in society, like Africa or América, came in 2020, during the global lockdown generated because of the Covid-19 pandemic. With everybody necessarily at home, many activities that were traditionally on-site, turn to be virtuals, such as going shopping, taking lessons, taking online loans, working out or even going to the doctor.
E-commerce levels grew exponentially during and after the pandemic, and it’s considered as the “great equalizer” required to jump-start South Africa’s economy. The same happened with digital platforms specially used for offering or searching jobs. It was a great opportunity for many workers to increase or diversify their income sources.
These digital platforms are also contributing to women’s financial independence as they appear as a new source of income for those who maybe didn’t have their own salaries. Let’s just think about women drivers that currently drive professionally through platforms like Uber or Bolt. Even if it is still rare to find women drivers, especially in African countries, this kind of app is open to all genders and women participation is promoted by the companies.
Why are these platforms so appreciated by women workers?
First of all, we need to understand that, according to a survey published by the Department of Statistics of the South African government, South African labour market is still more favourable to men than women. By the end of 2021, the female sex population accounted for 43,4% of total employment, but when it comes to managerial positions, for example, men represent 66,9% in comparison with 33,1% of women. It also draws attention to the fact that women dominate domestik work while only 5,5% of domestic worker jobs are occupied by men.
Most of these differences are related to the fact that women usually continue to be considered as the responsibles for domestic and child care. There are still many structures to overcome, but platforms really help. In fact, a study developed by Caribou Digital, revealed that young women in different countries around Africa -like Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana- appreciate the benefits given by the digital work platforms, which gives them more flexibility during and outside working hours. Being able to choose when to work, and how much time, is especially helpful for female entrepreneurs that need to deal with their family and personal lives and their online businesses at the same time.
This process can be seen as a gender-inclusive digital revolution, and it just has started.
