Digital Gig Work, Platform Precarity, and Women’s Livelihoods in Urban Economies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, September 2026 | pp. 195–208

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001309

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Digital Gig Work, Platform Precarity, and Women’s Livelihoods in Urban Economies

Names of Author: Zainab Abubakar¹, Lucas Oliveira², & Ananya Dasgupta³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria; ²Department of Sociology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; ³Centre for Labour Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India.

Abstract:
App-based ride-hailing, domestic service platforms, and online freelance marketplaces are frequently marketed as flexible employment solutions enabling women to balance paid income with household care responsibilities. However, beneath the rhetoric of algorithmic flexibility, female gig workers confront opaque wage deductions, lack of maternity or health insurance, algorithmic deactivation without due process, and heightened physical safety risks during client interactions. This paper investigates the gendered realities of platform-mediated labor among female domestic cleaners and delivery couriers in Lagos, São Paulo, and Bengaluru. Utilizing feminist political economy and labor process theory, the study draws upon comparative survey data from 180 female gig workers and in-depth interviews with platform union organizers. The findings reveal that algorithmic management intensifies income insecurity while prompting women to form encrypted messaging networks for safety tracking, mutual aid, and collective strikes.

Keywords: Gig economy, platform labor, gendered precarity, feminist political economy, urban livelihoods, worker resistance, digital platforms, Global South

Manuscript Timeline: Received: July 18, 2026; Revised: August 20, 2026; Accepted: August 24, 2026; Published: September 15, 2026.

Citation: Abubakar, Z., Oliveira, L., & Dasgupta, A. (2026). Digital Gig Work, Platform Precarity, and Women’s Livelihoods in Urban Economies. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 195–208. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001309

Subscribe to read the full article: https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read