New Open Access title: Feminist Futures of Work: Reimagining Labour in the Digital Economy

Feminist Futures of Work: Reimagining Labour in the Digital Economy

Edited by Payal Arora, Usha Raman and René König

The future of work is at the centre of debates related to the emerging digital society. Concerns range from the inclusion, equity, and dignity of those at the far end of the value chain, who participate on and off platforms, often in the shadows, invisible to policymakers, designers, and consumers. Precarity and informality characterize this largely female workforce, across sectors ranging from artisanal work to salon services to ride hailing and construction. A feminist reimagining of the futures of work—what we term as “FemWork” —is the need of the day and should manifest in multiple and various forms, placing the worker at the core and drawing on her experiences, aspirations, and realities. This volume offers grounded insights from academic, activist, legal, development and design perspectives that can help us think through these inclusive futures and possibly create digital, social, and governance infrastructures of work that are fairer and more meaningful.

On Wednesday 8th March, there will be a panel event about the book entitled The Future of Global Workers in the Platform Age, head here to read more.

Prior to the event, the pre-print version of the book is available online for free. Read here.

The official publication date of the Open Access e-book and hard-back book is 16th May 2023.

Reviews of Feminist Futures of Work

"To bring a world of just and equitable work into being, we need truly inclusive visions and strategies. This powerful book deploys a feminist lens to do just that from a diverse range of perspectives." Prof. Mark Graham, Professor at Oxford Internet Institute and Founder of Fairwork foundation

"For over a century, feminism has fought for women’s rightful, equal place in economies and societies. This thoughtfully conceived, keenly perceptive, and accessibly written book continues the quest, capturing the modern-day struggle of women’s working lives in a digital world. A must-read for anyone interested in promoting more equitable and inclusive labour markets -- today and in the future." Sabina Dewan, President & Executive Director, JustJobs Network.