The future of work is currently receiving attention at the highest policy levels. This paper demonstrates the case for a strong gender lens in these debates and makes a clear call for women’s economic empowerment to be at the front and centre of efforts to ensure the gig economy evolves to the benefit of all.

Women’s economic empowerment has gained increasing attention within the global development agenda in recent years, bolstered by the adoption of a range of relevant targets within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. Yet the specific experiences of older women often remain underexplored and unrecognised, leaving them invisible to policy-makers.