Women, Work and the Role of Technology
Talk by Farzana Afridi (Economics, Indian Statistical Institute)
In contrast to the Western experience, while the gender gap in educational attainment and fertility rates has declined in India, we don’t observe women participating concomitantly in the labor market. Can technological changes in the market and home production propel women’s labor market engagement, or does technological change have gendered impacts due to the gendered division of labor, prevailing social norms, and low market value for women’s time? This talk will unpack how adopting new technologies within the home and in agricultural production affects women’s time use and labor supply in urban and rural India.
Farzana Afridi is a Professor of Economics at the Indian Statistical Institute (Delhi), a Visiting Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, and a Research Fellow at the IZA (Bonn). Her research lies at the intersection of development and labor economics, covering three broad themes: gender and social identity, human capital, and governance. She has collaborated with government agencies, non-profits, and businesses to conduct field-based projects using administrative data and randomized experiments. Currently, she heads the Digital Platforms and WEE program, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to analyze and suggest measures that empower women on digital labor platforms.
