The Potential of Gig Economy in the Area of Gender Equality

Abstract

Due to the hit of Covid-19, both females and males' lifestyle largely shifted compared to the previous day, including employment and work. To stay away from the crowd to prevent the risk of getting the Covid-19, more people now favour ordering food through food delivery and transiting by online car-hailing. Meanwhile, unemployment has swept through the global economy. People found the gig economy can be well used to make a living to compensate for what they have lost from their original jobs. Gig economy, as an uprising industry, may change the current social pattern. Women are in a lower position in the workplace overall; this article intends to discuss whether the gig economy, as a new career direction, will change this situation. The paper will use Uber as a case study of the gig economy to discuss the impact of the gig economy on gender inequality; it will value from the aspects of 1) gender wage gap, 2) safety issues, 3) race escalation to examine whether the phenomenon of oppression, exploitation, and discrimination to women is still preserved.