The digital economy is growing, but so are gender inequalities
The digital economy is creating new opportunities, but not necessarily the same opportunities for everyone. The report Women in the Platform Economy: Challenges and Opportunities in Ibero-America, produced by SEGIB, ILO and UN Women, shows that many of the gender inequalities present in the labour market also persist on digital platforms, despite their potential to expand access to employment and new sources of income.
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Gender inequalities do not disappear when work becomes digital
One of the report’s central findings is that occupational segregation remains a reality. On online work platforms, women are overrepresented in some occupations and underrepresented in others. In the technology sector, while male dominance is widespread, women’s underrepresentation is particularly pronounced in general programming and software development. By contrast, women predominate in areas such as customer service and administrative support.
More education does not always translate into more opportunities or narrower gaps
The report also highlights an important tension between education, participation and self-perceived skills. Among survey respondents working on online platforms, 57.9 per cent hold a university degree or higher qualification. Women have higher levels of educational attainment: 61.1 per cent hold a university or postgraduate degree, compared with 55.3 per cent of men.
Even so, across the 30 types of tasks surveyed, women reported having sufficient skills at a higher rate than men in only 9 categories. This finding reflects respondents’ perceptions of their own skills rather than an objective assessment of their capabilities. In general, women tend to have a more negative perception of their own abilities than men, particularly regarding digital skills (EQUALS & UNESCO, 2019).
The promise of flexibility is not experienced in the same way
Flexibility, one of the most visible promises of platform work, does not operate under neutral conditions. The report notes that the ability to choose when and where to work can support work-life balance, but it is also shaped by incentive systems, penalties, rankings, and evaluation criteria that encourage availability during specific hours. On location-based platforms, women’s lower participation during night shifts may mean missing out on higher rates, incentives, or peak-hour bonuses.
Competition in a global marketplace expands the pool of workers available to perform tasks and places downward pressure on earnings. According to the report, more than one quarter of workers earn less than US$1 per hour, while only one in four earn more than US$5 per hour. These disparities are also reflected in income outcomes.
On the online work platforms analyzed in the report, women earn lower hourly and weekly incomes than men. Women’s average hourly earnings are 41 per cent lower than those of men. Only 26.7 per cent of women earn more than US$5 per hour, compared with 32.2 per cent of men.
Digital inclusion requires more than connectivity
Digital transformation represents an opportunity to expand women’s economic autonomy. However, realizing this potential also requires training, safe working conditions, equal pay, social protection, shared responsibility for care work, and greater participation of women in technology and innovation sectors.
Harnessing this potential requires embedding gender equality in the design of policies, regulations, and solutions that shape the future of work.
Technology can create opportunities. Equality requires deliberate choices.
Prevent discrimination and promote equal opportunities.
Ensure equal pay and greater transparency.
Reduce the digital gender divide.
Strengthen care policies and support work-life balance.
Promote women’s participation in social dialogue and decision-making.
Generate more data and evidence to inform better public policies.
The opportunities generated by digital platforms do not automatically translate into decent work. The absence of clear regulations in many countries contributes to persistent gaps in earnings, social protection, and working conditions. In June 2026, the International Labour Conference adopted Convention No. 193, establishing the first international labour standard dedicated to the platform economy.
In this context, the report provides evidence to inform a gender-responsive roadmap for implementation. Read the full report and explore its recommendations for building a more equal digital economy.
