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: Economic Development and Cultural Change
Year: 2026
