The Double-Edged Sword: Empowerment and Risks of Platform-Based Work for Women

Platform-based work, which offers home-based, part-time, and adaptable arrangements, has gained traction among women as it provides the freedom to manage current or future caregiving responsibilities. However, it also introduces risks such as job insecurity, lack of social protections, and the perpetuation of gendered power imbalances. This conceptual paper explores how platform-based work empowers women, as well as the risks that may arise from their engagement in such work. By examining cases like mum bloggers, OnlyFans creators, and crowd workers, we explore how platform-based work enables women’s empowerment. Our findings contribute to information systems literature by high-lighting the double-edged nature of platform-based work, demonstrating that while it enables women’s empowerment, it also reinforces existing power structures.