Opportunities, costs, & outcomes of platformized home-based work for women: case studies of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand

This project is designed to fill critical knowledge gaps regarding women’s opportunities for home-based platform work and enable comparisons across these different forms of work for the purpose of setting policy priorities that improve outcomes for women. In order to meet the expectation, there are four dimensions of economic empowerment to examine including, 1) access and equity, 2) flexibility, 3) economic security, and 4) position in family and society. In terms of areas of study, two countries where the platform economy is still in the early stages of growth—Cambodia, and Myanmar—and one country where “platformization” is relatively advanced— Thailand are the target areas for this study. This research framework will enable experiences from Thailand to catalyze policy formulation in Cambodia and Myanmar where policy development is still in the early stage. Four types of service areas are included in the studies, including social media for business,
food delivery, online retail, and crowd work.

The examination methods will include secondary data analysis, interviews with women workers and entrepreneurs, and interviews with key stakeholders—governmental policymakers, platform and social media corporations, civil society groups, and other experts.

Knowledge from this study will enable JJN and its research partners to make evidence-based recommendations to both platform firms and policymakers—with the ultimate impact of enabling women to engage with digital platforms in ways that expand their agency, economic security, and inclusion.