Mobility of Female Workers on Gender-Agnostic Gig Platforms in China

Mobility, defined as the ability to move between locations, is a means of accessing opportunities but is not gender-neutral. Globally, women often experience more limited mobility, undertaking shorter journeys and relying more on pedestrian and public transportation. Constraints in gendered mobility, including temporal, spatial, and social aspects, are prevalent due to societal norms and regulations. This has traditionally resulted in men dominating mobility-intensive professions like drivers and couriers. However, the past decade has seen a significant increase in female participation in these sectors, driven by gig platforms for ride-sharing and food delivery services. Research on gender in sociology and labor studies has yet to fully explore platform-based gig work.

Despite safety concerns and societal norms, gig platforms offer women unrestricted employment access, appealing due to their perceived inclusivity and flexibility. However, these platforms often perpetuate gender biases through dispatching and ranking mechanisms that favor traditionally masculine traits, leading to gender pay gaps and increased health and safety risks for women. This highlights the complex interplay between gender-agnostic algorithmic control and gendered work experiences.

This paper uses mixed methods to investigate the experiences of female gig workers in three large cities in China. It aims to understand how these workers access gig opportunities while navigating migration, family dynamics, daily spatial practices, and balancing gig work with domestic responsibilities. In China’s patriarchal context and the absence of regulatory oversight over gig platforms, the analysis reveals that female gig workers experience marginalization from mobility, in mobility, and by mobility under stringent algorithmic control. The findings contribute to gender-conscious approaches in gig platform design and regulation, with the potential to mitigate bias, address harassment, enhance safety measures, and reduce other adverse social consequences that disproportionately affect women in the gig economy.