In a groundbreaking move, Uber, India’s leading ride-hailing app, has unveiled a research report showcasing the pivotal role ride-hailing platforms play in empowering women and fostering economic opportunities in the country. Titled “Ride-Hailing: A Platform for Women’s Economic Opportunity in India,” the report projects a significant increase in the female workforce by 2028, shedding light on the transformative impact these services have on women’s participation in the workforce.
The study predicts that access to mobility through ride-hailing could contribute to an over 6% increase in the female workforce in India’s top five cities by 2028. This boost is expected to bring more than half a million women into the workforce, consequently enhancing the size of cities’ economies by over 1%.
Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smriti Irani, commended Uber’s initiative, stating, “It helps that organizations such as Uber recognize… the challenges related to women’s participation in the workforce, but the opportunities at the grassroots level.”
Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, emphasized the importance of women’s participation in the workforce for India’s economic potential. Singh highlighted the role of ride-hailing options in bridging the ‘gender commute gap’ by providing women a safe and convenient means of transportation to work.
Bali Kaur Sodhi, Lead Economist, Oxford Economics, emphasized that the report provides evidence-based policy recommendations for leveraging technology to remove mobility barriers for women, enabling them to enter the workforce or advance in their careers.
Insights from the Survey:
The research report draws from a survey conducted across five Indian cities in partnership with Uber. Insights from the survey include:
- Joining the Workforce: 40% of working women riders agreed that ride-hailing enabled them to overcome barriers and join the workforce.
- Work-Family Balance: 50% of working women felt that ride-hailing played a crucial role in achieving a balance between work and family responsibilities, providing the necessary flexibility.
- Safety as a Priority: 75% of women using ride-hailing for commuting cited safety as a primary reason, highlighting the critical role these services play in ensuring secure transportation options.
- Access to Opportunities: 33% of working women riders stated that ride-hailing expanded their access to suitable work opportunities, broadening their career prospects.
The report reveals that compared to the global female labor force participation rate of 47% in 2022, India’s rate was only 37%. The two main challenges identified for women’s mobility were a lack of access to safe transport and an imbalance in work-family arrangements.
Commissioned by Uber, Oxford Economics’ independent report offers insights into the potential economic benefits that can be realized by 2028 through increased access to ride-hailing, using anonymized and aggregated proprietary data from Uber.
