Celebrating and Empowering Women in the App-Based Economy

Today, millions of women are breaking barriers to economic freedom by embracing flexible work and earning opportunities. From mothers and caregivers to business owners and entrepreneurs, women nationwide are choosing app-based platforms to achieve financial independence on their own terms. The app-based industry understands that when women have the freedom to work when and where they desire, they can truly unlock their full potential. By providing access to resources and support, Flex companies enable women to forge successful careers that fit their lifestyles and priorities.

I’ve been in the workforce and technology worlds for a long time. And throughout that time – in the Senate, nonprofit or think tank spaces – my focus has always been creating systems for people to build their own futures. That empowerment feels especially important in our current moment. Today, women still make 20-40% less than men and spend nearly 40% more time on caregiving. In an economy that still undervalues non-traditional workers it's essential that we create systems that create flexible, scalable money-making opportunities for women.

Flex member companies consistently strive to empower women earners by opening pathways to adaptable work schedules and new career paths. Millions of people rely on the app-based economy daily to receive goods and services on demand, allowing platforms to expand their merchant partners’ reach and amplify the voices of women-owned businesses. As we look back on Women’s History Month, Flex is highlighting the stories of the countless women earners and entrepreneurs who have joined and embraced the app-based community in pursuit of their goals.

-- Kristin Sharp, CEO of Flex Association

Our Impact Stories

From our women earners, we have heard how app-based platforms provide added flexibility to continue education, support family needs, and thrive on their own terms. Each earner has full choice and opportunity at the touch of an app and we hear from them every day on how important that choice is. They can earn around school activities or chronic health conditions, support a small business or college schedule, or pick up extra rides when they have a savings goal. Here are their stories on the value of flexible work, in their own words:

Leading the Way

A recent study by Indeed on women who transitioned out of full-time employment at the beginning of the pandemic found that more than half (58%) began doing independent app-based work. Of that percentage, nearly all (97%) cited flexibility as the primary appeal.

Seventy-six percent of women earners say they are likely to continue using app-based platforms, and Flex member companies report that 75% of earners for grocery delivery apps are women seeking and requiring flexibility for their schedules.

Company Initiatives

Read more about what our member companies are doing to uplift women:

• Lyft connecting women to healthcare

• Uber and women’s safety

• Instacart and women-owned small businesses

• Grubhub expanding women restaurants

• DoorDash empowering women entrepreneurs

Refer to Flex impact reports for more information on how the app-based industry

empowers working Americans:

Black Communities

COVID Impact

Older Americans

Equity Impact

Veterans

About Flex

Flex is the voice of the app-based economy, representing America's leading app-based

rideshare and delivery platforms and the people who count on them. Our member companies

—DoorDash, Grubhub, HopSkipDrive, Instacart, Lyft, Shipt, and Uber—help provide

access to crucial goods and services to customers safely and efficiently, offer flexible earning

opportunities to workers, and support economic growth in communities across the country.

Together, we advocate for policies that enable our industry to continue delivering for the people

who count on our platforms.