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Report: Women's participation on gig apps like Uber and Swiggy still low
Our read
Raising women's gig participation will no longer be just an ESG goal: platforms building safe, flexible work models will gain better service coverage, while others will face higher incentives and weaker unit economics.
For operators
To raise women gig-worker participation, Swiggy, Uber and Urban Company will have to invest in safe commuting, flexible shifts, digital training and reliable grievance redressal.
Watch
Announcement by Swiggy, Uber, Zomato, Urban Company or Ola of women partner hiring, safety features or a dedicated service category.
The report,
An ILO-NCAER report says women's participation is low on app platforms in India such as Uber, Swiggy and Urban Company. Digital skills, safety, mobility and social barriers are the main reasons, while gig work could advance financial inclusion.
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Reported figures
From the report. Source details below
| Female labour force participation in India was about 32% in 2025, versus | about 78% for men |
|---|---|
| At 50% female labour participation, annual economic growth could gain | about 1 percentage point |
| Gig workers projected to number 2.35 crore by | 2029-30 |
Also in the report
- Gig work estimated to contribute about ₹2.35 lakh crore to annual economic activity
- Only 56.2% of Indian women aged 15+ own a mobile phone
- Only 37% of women can carry out online banking transactions
Why it matters to operators
Partnerships or acquisitions with companies offering safety, women's mobility, skills training and fintech solutions could help gig platforms unlock the female talent pool.
What to watch next
- Company or regulator data on women gig workers' active share, 30/90-day retention and average income.
- Provisions on women's safety, insurance, social security or platform data reporting in state gig-worker laws.
- Changes in peak-hour delivery fees, driver/rider incentives and contribution margin per order/trip.
- High-profile incidents related to women's safety, rating/trust indicators or customer boycotts.
- Direction of female labour force participation, urban women's employment, public transport safety and affordable two-wheeler financing.
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Develop shift products for women partners with daytime hours, limited geographic range and safe pick-up/drop options.
- Implement a 24x7 safety helpline, verified customer/passenger identity, SOS response times and public internal KPIs on harassment complaints.
- Link digital skills, language support and onboarding training with local women's self-help groups, NGOs and skill missions.
- Lower entry barriers through EV/scooter leasing, micro-credit, childcare support and income-guarantee pilots.
- To grow women-focused service demand, expand female-customer preference, women professional options in home services and corporate safe-commute contracts.
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- Reallocate hiring budgets by tracking city-level women's activity, retention, income, safety incidents and incentive costs separately.
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
This signal does not necessarily indicate near-term revenue/margin risk for Swiggy, Uber or Urban Company. Platforms can sustain supply in line with demand through hiring male workers, incentives, route/shift optimisation and, to some extent, automation. Low women's participation is a social problem, but it becomes a business constraint only if it clearly leads to driver/delivery-partner shortages in specific categories, higher incentive spending, poor service levels or regulatory costs.
The source
Published
First seen