Date: March 8, 2023
Contact: Molly Weedn, (415) 209-4217
[email protected]

For Women Across California, App-Based Work is Essential

In 2020, Proposition 22 was overwhelmingly approved by California voters, with nearly 60 percent saying they supported app-based drivers remaining as independent contractors in addition to receiving new benefits. In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Protect App Based Drivers + Services coalition is highlighting female drivers across the state.

“As a single mom, app-based driving has provided indispensable income for my family while also allowing me to pursue my passion,” said Alexsyia, a DoorDash driver based in Los Angeles. “I needed additional income to help make ends meet, but the work needed to be flexible around the rigorous shooting schedules being a producer and film director requires. Prop 22 allows me to be an independent contractor which means I can set my own schedule, work the hours I need to work and be able to build my own business.”

DoorDash’s 2021 Dasher survey showed that more than half of Dashers are women, 80 percent of whom say a main reason they deliver is because of the flexibility to set their own schedules. Furthermore, 60 percent of women Dashers are parents or caregivers and say a main reason they deliver is because of the ability to earn money while also having time to care for a child or loved one.

“I had a ‘traditional job’ for decades and I couldn’t wait to retire from the grind of it all,” said Cora, a San Francisco-based Lyft driver. “But, with rising costs and a fixed income, I wanted to earn a little supplemental income and continue to be connected with people. Driving for Lyft gives me that opportunity – and I can work as much or as little as I want.”

“The last few years have been a challenge for everyone, but being an independent contractor and shopping with Instacart has really changed my life,” said Summer, a Bay Area Instacart shopper. “I’d been out of the workforce for so long raising my kids, but I really wanted to find a way to connect with people and help bring in additional income for our household. I couldn’t have gotten a regular job with such a demanding schedule, which is how I found Instacart. It helped our family through the pandemic and I loved knowing I was helping other families too.”

Instacart data shows that 71 percent of drivers identify as women and 50 percent are parents. The company has also set aside $1 million to support women-founded emerging brands in an effort to support female entrepreneurship.

A Good Morning America segment that aired in November 2021 noted, “at Uber, the number of women who earn on the app has increased nearly 80% since the beginning of the year, while the number of men increased by about 40%. On UberEats, more than 40% of delivery drivers in the U.S. are female, and that share is growing.”

Research has indicated that more women left their jobs at the outset of the pandemic to care for their families and that since 2017, women working as independent contractors has jumped from 33 percent to more than 46 percent. Moreover, more than 60 percent of female platform drivers have reported providing care for family or loved ones, a statistic that highlights the importance of upholding Prop 22 and ensuring women have continued access to work that helps to make ends meet.

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About Protect App-Based Drivers & Services (PADS) Coalition

The Protect App-Based Drivers & Services (PADS) coalition, formerly the Yes on Prop 22 coalition, is continuing to engage to ensure the will of California voters is upheld; to protect access to independent, app-based jobs; and to preserve the availability, affordability and reliability of on-demand app-based rideshare and delivery services that are essential to Californians and our economy.

Proposition 22 was supported by 59% of California voters, 120,000 drivers, and a diverse coalition of more than 140 groups including social justice, senior, community, business, veterans and many others.