Increasing Trend of Women Freelancers: The Growth Path

The recent growth of the freelancing economy has seen several new changes that did not exist before. These changes are visible in the working ratio of men and women. Moreover, the participation of women is rising in the workforce and now they have more power than ever before to define the path they want to take in their careers.

Additionally, in many ways, freelancing provides benefits and freedoms that enable women from all walks of life to pursue careers that are tailored to their specific interests and lives.

Through freelancing platforms like Refrens, women freelancers have been able to enter historically male-dominated sectors. Others have achieved financial independence by working part-time.

Moreover, female workers are becoming a larger and more important component of the workforce, with the ability to break down barriers to participation yet again.

Freelancing Work Has a Bright Future for Females!

Table of Contents

How Has Freelancing Tapped Into The Female Market & Interests?

A day is filled with time spent at home, with children, and with social obligations. Working on two activities at once is difficult. This is where women freelancers’ career alternatives come in handy. With time, many women are opting to abandon their full-time careers in favor of freelancing, which is more profitable.

Females in India are becoming more interested in freelancing employment alternatives as a result of the advantages it provides. It provides the following:

Working gives you independence and allows you to work at your own pace.
Choices with a larger income
In India, the societal structure has evolved to the point where women are predominantly responsible for domestic tasks and activities. Even when they have a full-time job, they do so without prejudice. This is why, over time, freelancing gained traction, particularly among women.
Skilled and ambitious women began working as freelancers when they felt the urge to do more.

Statistics About Women Freelancers in India

Freelancing appears to be a potential alternative in India, with estimates of a $30 billion sector. There are currently 15 million freelancers working in the fields of design, graphics, content and academic writing, cinematography, videography, and other related fields.

Most Common Women Freelancing Profession

Writing, and Design Are The Most Sought-After Freelancing Professions By Women

Content writing and Design see the healthiest ratio of women freelancers. While there are 49% of women freelancers in Design, the ratio is 41% in writing. Social media management is the next big category, with 37% of freelancers being women.

India Beats The Global Average Hourly Wages Rate

Indian freelancers outperformed their global counterparts in a variety of categories.

Indian women freelancers were able to demand higher average hourly rates for some of the most popular professions, such as finance, which demanded $71 per hour against a global average of $41, and marketing, which demanded $47 per hour against a global average of $34.

Rise in Income

In 2020, the average hourly fee was $14 per hour for women freelancers, and now in 2022, it has risen to $22 per hour.

Gender Gap Improved

In India, freelancing offers a fresh start to bridging the gender pay gap. Since 2020, the pay disparity between men and women in India has narrowed marginally.

In 2022, Indian women earn 80% of what their male colleagues earn, with average hourly rates of $22/hour for women vs. $27/hour for men.

Before COVID, the pay disparity between men and women was more skewed, with women earning about 72% of what their male counterparts would earn.

Impact Of Pandemic On Women’s Entrepreneurship

Women lost more jobs than men as a result of the pandemic, forcing them to stay at home. Every sector was affected by complete lockdown phases. It had an impact on both high-paying corporate positions and domestic services.

According to research by Bain & Company, the pandemic affected 73 percent of women entrepreneurs. Because their firm was shut down, 35 percent of women lost revenue ranging from 25 percent to 75 percent. As a result, 44 percent of women changed their business approach as a result of the pandemic.

For many women who have lost their careers, freelancing has proven to be a superior option.

Homemakers, on the other side, began to monetize their skills in cooking, baking, arts, design, dance, teaching, and other areas that they had previously limited to their families.

These women are slowly but steadily turning their tiny enterprises into brands.

As a result of this pivot, the pandemic brought several names to light. The COVID-19 war has been won by Indian women entrepreneurs, according to Forbes India. The COVID-19 Shri Shakti Challenge, organized by UN Women to boost women’s entrepreneurship, saw six women-led firms win for their innovative company ideas.

According to Fortune magazine, the freedom of remote working is revolutionizing women’s freelancing and is likely to continue for a long time.

All of this is enough to see how the pandemic has boosted the entrepreneurial spirit of Indian women.

Factors That Contributed To The Rise Of Women Freelancers

Women who work as designers, teachers, authors, consultants, and other types of professionals have grown as freelancers:

It provided them a sense of accomplishment: When women earned, they felt more accomplished and autonomous. Freelancing is a difficult yet rewarding job path. Women, regardless of their age or job, feel more responsible and independent.

Households’ mundane thinking and mindset were shattered: Women worked hard but were unable to influence Indian families’ mental processes. Despite the talk of women working full-time, most Indian families expect women to look after their houses and children. As a result, the number of women freelancers is increasing. They can now juggle their work and family commitments.

Women are thought to be better at multitasking and delivering quality work than anyone else: Freelancing is a popular employment choice among women after marriage. They have less time to handle the entire day because of family, children, and other duties. On the other hand, Women freelancers have found it easier to manage all of their tasks.

Increased Knowledge: Social media, private chat groups, and the media have all helped to raise awareness of freelancing careers. Furthermore, the internet has hastened the process by allowing girls to investigate and verify employment prospects that they are interested in. Professional friends who prefer to work alone share knowledge that gives them the guts to do it alone in their careers, in addition to the media.

Social Demands/Rising Lifestyle Standards: The cost of life and social expectations have shifted dramatically. Females, who are often burdened by duties, find it difficult to leave the house and work for more than 12 hours. They can manage everything as women freelancers because they don’t have to worry about their children or other concerns. It also allows them to maintain a work-life balance at the same time.

Why Is Freelancing A Good Option For Women?

A wide range of positions are available

Companies are recruiting women freelancers for a larger range of jobs as time goes on. Companies have been obliged to shift an even broader range of jobs to freelancing as a result of the recent COVID19 crisis. As a result, you have the option of working as a freelance writer, designer, software developer, lawyer, accountant, or tutor. You can also choose more than one if you have the opportunity and skill diversity.

Flexibility

Freelancing does not necessitate a lengthy commitment. You must make project-by-project commitments. As a result, if you feel like taking a rest, it is much easier than doing a conventional job. As women freelancers, you can work whenever and wherever you choose once you and the customer have agreed on a working style.

Work that they enjoy most

A woman freelancer does not have the worry or be concerned of her family being impacted by her career because freelancing allows her to work according to her own schedule and timings.

As a result, having fun at work is a tremendous motivator.

Better Work-Life Integration

Women benefit from freelancing because it allows them to achieve a better work-life balance. When women select a freelancing career, they are able to spend more time with their families. Moreover, You’re in charge of your own schedule when you’re your own employer. You determine when it’s time to stop working and spend time with friends and family, or to pursue your hobbies.

Multitasking

You might think it’s just an old adage, but women are truly better at multitasking than males. Men perform better when they focus on a single task, whereas women can quickly switch between and juggle multiple tasks. Women are well-suited to freelancing since they must be able to manage different freelance roles like customer interactions, finances, social media, administration, project management, and a variety of other tasks.

Solving Issues

Women are naturally better problem solvers than men, which makes freelancing ideal for them. This is due to the fact that in women, the problem-solving portions of the frontal lobe are larger. Becoming a successful freelancer necessitates the ability to solve problems. Women are better suited to freelancing because of their innate problem-solving abilities.

Challenges Faced By Women Freelancers

Not just freelancing, but every facet of life has its own set of difficulties. Challenges, on the other hand, might become opportunities if you prioritize well.

Working women encounter a variety of obstacles that obstruct their ability to concentrate, deliver, and grow.

Check out our comprehensive blog on Top 5 Freelance Challenges & Ways To Deal With Them

How Has The Freelance Space Evolved For Women Freelancers?

When the market was swamped with freelancing options, women decided to take advantage of them. Soon after, women’s careers flourished.

However, the situation has changed for the better, with more women opting for freelancing as:

Women were able to identify their own expectations and objectives. When they realized that freelancing could help them make money, they no longer wanted to be a burden. Moreover, choosing a niche helped them to double their income.
Many women realized that freelancing would allow them to demonstrate their abilities in ways that they couldn’t otherwise. More than anything, the employment option satisfied their intellect and respect.
Women’s Group More assist each other by informing them of new work opportunities and types that can be selected.

How To Boost Women Freelancers Work?

As a career alternative, freelancing has its own drawbacks. It involves things like financial insecurity, seeking new clients, working long and irregular hours, and so on.

To accelerate their growth, women should do the following:

Build Teams: It is preferable for women to work in groups. The majority of them must be in the same boat. As a result, it is preferable to sail together rather than alone. To improve delivery standards, divide and share duties. If you’re part of a team, delegate responsibility to your coworkers.

Share Opportunities: While competition can be fierce, you should not go extinct as a result. If you want to progress steadily, it’s best to collaborate with other women. It is a universal law that what you give will come back to you in spades. Consider your options from a broader viewpoint and for a longer stay.

Recommend contacts: Always refer women looking for freelance jobs to your contacts. You can’t finish a task by yourself, so you should earn each other’s trust through sharing work and contacts.

Appreciate women: If you want to be appreciated, know that other females do as well. Learn to appreciate women since it will help them advance in their careers.

Help: Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. It also ensures that the quality of the work is not compromised. If you don’t mind asking for assistance, it’s also a good idea to aid others. It’s an open market, so there’s a good chance you’ll get entangled. Keeping this in mind, it’s critical to be unobtrusive and collaborate.

Coworking spaces to ensure their safety: Create and develop safe coworking spaces for women. Working in a safe setting empowers women, enhances concentration and improves the quality of their job, ultimately propelling them forward.

Top 5 Freelancing Jobs For Women Freelancers

top-freelancing-jobs-for-women-freelancers

Nothing is impossible for a woman to accomplish. Women are suitable for all types of jobs. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 for various forms of suitability.

You can also check to see if your skill set corresponds to the most in-demand skills 2022.

Looking Ahead For Women Freelancers

In the global gig economy, freelancing is driving a value-driven change. We’ve seen a steady rise in freelancer income, and women have been able to break into traditionally male-dominated industries because of freelancing sites like Refrens.

Furthermore, female gig workers are becoming a more prominent and essential element of the industry, potentially breaking down barriers to participation once again.

Freelancing will continue to make tremendous progress in the global gig industry in the days ahead.

At Refrens, we’re on a mission to provide information and tools to freelancers from all walks of life so they may expand their business opportunities across worldwide marketplaces.