In developing countries, cultural barriers often limit women’s movement outside the household. With the advantage of remote work and flexible hours, the online gig economy offers a promising avenue. In this randomized controlled trial, we train women on work-from-home digital jobs and estimate its effect on their labor market outcomes. Intention-to-treat results show that women in the treatment group are 10 percentage points (18%) more likely to be employed, with a corresponding increase in hours worked by 27% and income by 38%. The benefit/cost ratio for the program is estimated at 3.01, indicating considerable benefits from the program compared with costs.
Authors: Arman Mohammad Raied; Bhattacharjee Anindita; Das Narayan; Gomes Mohima; and Mahmood Sakib
Type: Journal Article
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Journals
Year: 2026
