Recent Release | 18 Dec 2023
Ride-Hailing: a platform for Women’s economic Opportunity in Sri Lanka
Economic Consulting Team
Oxford Economics
Sri Lanka’s female labour force participation stood at 32%, far lower than that of men, reflecting the myriad of hurdles Sri Lankan women face in order to participate in the workforce. While socioeconomic barriers such as rooted gender norms and the imbalanced burden of household responsibilities play a role, the mobility challenge due to a lack of safe and reliable transport options is a major barrier in itself. From the mobility perspective, could ride-hailing services be the solution to boosting women’s workforce participation in Sri Lanka?
In collaboration with Uber, our latest report: “Ride-Hailing: A Platform for Women’s Economic Opportunity in Sri Lanka” explores the transport challenges limiting women’s economic participation in Colombo’s and the role that ride-hailing can play in overcoming them.
We surveyed over 10,000 riders across South Asia to understand whether ride-hailing can offer women a safer, more flexible, and reliable option for their work commute. Our innovative research combines these survey findings with a bespoke forward-looking model illustrating the economic potential of ride-hailing in 2028, and anecdotal stories from South Asian women who have personally benefitted from ride-hailing.
Our model finds that increased access to ride-hailing can encourage over 50,000 more women to join Colombo’s workforce by 2028, boosting Colombo’s economy by over 3%. Find out more about how ride-hailing services can benefit women, their families, and the wider city economy by 2028 in our report.
The experts behind the research
Our Economic Consulting team are world leaders in quantitative economic analysis, working with clients around the globe and across sectors to build models, forecast markets and evaluate interventions using state-of-the art techniques. Lead consultants on this project were:
Bali Kaur Sodhi
Lead Economist, Economic Consulting, Asia
Kankon Sen
Economist, Economic Impact Consulting, Asia
Tags:
Recent Economic Impact reports
Trade tracker – Tariff impacts continue to build
US tariff rates are climbing to levels not seen since the 1930s, with world trade expected to decline and inflation set to rise. What could this mean for global markets and economic growth?
Find Out More
Airbnb’s Economic Contribution to APAC in 2024: GDP, Jobs, and Regional Impact
Airbnb's platform connects hosts across Asia Pacific (APAC) with travellers from around the world. Oxford Economics was commissioned by Airbnb to quantify its economic footprint in 10 APAC markets in 2024.
Find Out More
Economic Insights: Airbnb’s Contribution Through the Lens of Oxford Economics
Oxford Economics Australia delivered a tailored economic impact assessment for Airbnb, including GDP contribution modelling, job creation analytics, guest‑spend segmentation, and regional tourism dispersion insights to underpin Airbnb’s stakeholder communications and strategic growth initiatives.
Find Out More
Unlocking Economic Growth in Regional Australia Through Digital Delivery
Oxford Economics Australia delivered an independent economic impact assessment for Uber Eats, quantifying additional revenue for restaurants, GDP contribution, and consumer wellbeing benefits across 67 new regional markets.
Find Out More