In developing countries, cultural barriers often limit women’s movement outside the household. With the additional burden of childcare requiring flexible working hours and a muted demand for female employment in local markets, women’s labor force participation has persistently lagged in these countries. Providing remote work, flexible hours, and linkages to the global market, online freelancing offers a promising avenue to mitigate female unemployment. In this paper, we experimentally measure the effects of online freelancing training on females. Results indicate that a year after the intervention, women in treatment are 19% more likely to be employed, with a corresponding increase in income by 40% and hours worked by 29%. Welfare, as proxied by food expenditure, increases by 29%. Even though more than a half the participants were students, the program does not reduce school enrollment. The benefit-cost ratio of the intervention is estimated at 6.55, suggesting considerable benefits compared to costs.
Authors: Das, Narayan; Arman, Mohammad Raied; Bhattacharjee, Anindita; Gomes, Mohima; and Mahmood, Sakib
Type: Journal Article
Publisher: SSRN
Year: 2024
