Women platform workers and digital labor advocates are calling for stronger protections as global discussions on the future of platform work get underway at the International Labour Conference in Geneva.
The workers say the rapid growth of digital platforms has created jobs for millions of people, including women drivers, home-based workers, content moderators, and data labelers. However, they argue that labor protections have failed to keep pace, leaving many workers exposed to low pay, unsafe working conditions, and discrimination.
Among the groups pushing for change is the Women Commercial Drivers Association of Kenya, which says women in the transport sector continue to face challenges that are often overlooked in labor policies.
“Women drivers continue to navigate unsafe working conditions, income instability, gender-based violence and harassment, unpaid care responsibilities, and the high cost of accessing and maintaining the tools required for work,” said Nyambura Kogi, Chairperson of the Women Commercial Drivers Association of Kenya.
Kogi said women platform workers want stronger workplace protections, fair earnings systems, and safeguards against discrimination and algorithmic bias. She also called for policies that recognize the impact of unpaid care work on women’s participation in the economy.
The concerns raised by women drivers mirror broader demands from workers across the digital economy. Labor groups attending the conference are pushing for a convention that guarantees fair pay, social protection, mental health support, and greater accountability from technology companies.
Africa Tech Workers Movement Chairperson Wycliffe Alutalala said governments have an opportunity to protect workers who often remain invisible despite playing a critical role in powering digital platforms and artificial intelligence systems.
“We urge governments at the ILC to adopt a framework that mandates social protections and mental health support for those performing the digital world’s most essential, and often most taxing, labor,” Alutalala said.
Alutalala noted that platform workers, from content moderators to drivers and caregivers, face unique forms of insecurity as technology increasingly shapes how work is assigned, monitored, and managed.
Worker organizations say the proposed convention should guarantee workers’ rights regardless of whether they are managed by an app, algorithm, or traditional employer. They are also calling for protections against unfair account deactivations, stronger privacy safeguards, and access to justice in the countries where the work is performed.
For women workers, advocates say the outcome of the Geneva talks could determine whether the platform economy becomes a source of decent work or deepens existing inequalities.
The groups are urging the Kenyan delegation attending the conference to support measures that protect workers’ rights and ensure that women, who continue to face multiple barriers in the digital economy, are not left behind.