Behind the glossy screens and sleek interfaces of the digital economy lie harsh realities of exploitation and inequality. The lack of transparency in how digital platforms function lead to skewed power dynamics in favour of corporations and platforms, bringing forth concerns around data privacy, surveillance, and exploitation of workers and users. The rise of generative AI will also reshape the landscape of digital labour in ways we perhaps cannot currently imagine.

In the final episode, I’m exploring the titular question: How can we create a better future of work?

Experts

Payal Arora, Utrecht University/FemLab

Shaik Salauddin, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU)

Jamil Wyne, Climate Technology & Investment Specialist

Show Notes

2.18. A feminist human–machine communication framework: Collectivizing by design for inclusive work futures, by Chinar Mehta, Payal Arora, Usha Raman: https://bit.ly/4apjNAZ

4.19. Shaik Salauddin: https://bit.ly/3Q3YnRH

4.28. Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT): https://bit.ly/3Ue9A4A

6.20. Social Security Code: https://bit.ly/3UcPec1 & Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines: https://bit.ly/3Uh6eOt

6.55. Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU): https://tgpwu.org/

12.35. Fair work, feminist design, and women’s labor collectives, by Payal Arora and Usha Raman: https://bit.ly/3xCA07v

13.03. Whisper networks and workarounds: Negotiating Urban Company’s interface, by Sai Amulya Komarraju: https://bit.ly/3w2ik4u. See also: Feminist design framework for envisioning gender-inclusive ride-hailing sector: Perspectives from India, by Pallavi Bansal, Payal Arora, Usha Raman: https://bit.ly/49CSu4Q

17.40. Entrepreneurs craft the future of collective artisanal economies in Bangladesh, by Upasana Bhattacharjee: https://bit.ly/49w5bi5

19.56. Jamil Wyne: https://www.jamilwyne.com/

27.33. Converging forces: Navigating climate change and the future of work in developing countries, by Jamil Wyne: https://bit.ly/4cZxDvt

29.50. 5 areas where VCs can play an outsized role in addressing climate change, by Jamil Wyne and Abrar Chaudhury: https://tcrn.ch/3vNO39H

45.01. From pessimism to promise: Lessons from the Global South on designing inclusive tech, by Payal Arora (forthcoming, 2024): https://bit.ly/3QL7ffy

Check out our open access book: Feminist Futures of Work: Reimagining Labour in the Digital Economy, edited by Payal Arora, Usha Raman, René König: https://bit.ly/3TRmswi

Know more about our IDRC-funded initiative: https://femlab.co/

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.