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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

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Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.10.003

Beyond the Wage: Digitalization of Care Labour and Feminist Challenges in the Platform Economy

Priyant Banerjee1, Arshad Bhat2,*

1Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Amity University Mumbai, Mumbai 410206, Maharashtra, India.

2Amity Institute of Liberal Arts, Amity University Mumbai, Mumbai 410206, Maharashtra, India.

*Corresponding author: Arshad Bhat

Published: October 30,2025

Abstract

Feminist economics has questioned the clear-cut division between paid and unpaid work, particularly in care roles. Over 60% of women worldwide are engaged in unpaid care labour (ILO, 2023), and more than 70 million people work in gig jobs on digital platforms. This shift to digital is transforming how services like domestic care, elder care, and emotional support are delivered. While platforms promise flexibility, they often lead to low wages, job insecurity, and strict oversight by algorithms, with women from marginalized communities bearing the brunt of these issues. This paper examines how platform-driven care services such as domestic worker apps and telehealth, are changing the landscape of care work while exploiting unpaid labour. Real-life case studies illustrate how algorithmic bias, constant data monitoring, and gender-related job precarity diminish women’s power to negotiate and their economic stability. Our research shows that although platforms open new job opportunities, they also exacerbate inequalities, leaving 80% of women in gig-based care roles without social protection (World Bank, 2024). The study contends that platform capitalism reshapes unpaid, pre-carious care work within a neoliberal context, rather than dismantling age-old power imbalances. This paper adds to the dialogue on feminist political economy and labour rights by suggesting policy reforms and regulatory measures to reclaim care work from exploitative digital infrastructures.

Keywords

Component; care work; digital platforms; unpaid labour; feminist economics; gig economy

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How to cite this paper

Beyond the Wage: Digitalization of Care Labour and Feminist Challenges in the Platform Economy

How to cite this paper: Priyant Banerjee, Arshad Bhat. (2025) Beyond the Wage: Digitalization of Care Labour and Feminist Challenges in the Platform Economy. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science9(10), 1851-1860.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.10.003