Women motorcycle taxi drivers in Indonesia navigate exploitative digital platforms and structural gender bias
Last month, on International Labour Day, Konde.co released a groundbreaking research report on the precarious conditions of ojols, some 4 million motorcycle taxi drivers in Indonesia. Twenty percent of the drivers are women, who embody both a digital-age social revolution and the stark limitations of platform capitalism. Rather than representing true empowerment, the so-called “partnership” between female drivers and their companies masks exploitative working conditions. Konde’s research, based on interviews with 30 women across nine cities, reveals a multi-layered crisis marked by gender discrimination, informal labour, algorithmic control, and the absence of social protection.
Aged between 35-44, most women ojol drivers in the study are single mothers and are their family’s main breadwinners. A majority were educated to high school level or above yet driven into informal work due to layoffs or lack of job opportunities. Despite working over 9–12 hours daily – sometimes more – and rarely taking days off, more than 70% of respondents earned less than 100,000 rupiah (about £4.50) per day. None considered this income sufficient. At home, nearly all also carry out unpaid domestic labour such as childcare, eldercare, and housework. Many reported burnout from this “double burden.”
According to the article, gender-based violence and discrimination are rampant. Nearly 87% had experienced cancelled orders because of their gender, and 43% reported facing sexual harassment. Rejections from male passengers are frequent, reinforcing harmful gender norms that women don’t belong on the road. Many drivers do not report abuse for fear of retaliation or inaction from platform companies. When reports are made, nearly 70% of cases receive no resolution or lead to further victim-blaming.
Algorithmic management exacerbates precarity. Nearly two-thirds of women had experienced algorithmic penalties such as sudden suspensions, often without clear cause. These automated sanctions and the overall lack of transparency in performance ratings, incentives, or scheduling, leave drivers powerless, even as companies claim they offer “freedom” and flexibility. In practice, the platforms set the rules and shift all operational risks, such as fuel, maintenance, and illness, onto workers.
Tia, a single mother and one of the drivers interviewed, works from dawn to midnight to make ends meet. She juggles deliveries while battling fatigue, harassment, and algorithmic punishments. Her story is emblematic of a broader pattern: women turning to gig work after layoffs, attracted by promises of flexibility, but ultimately trapped in a cycle of debt, surveillance, and exploitation.
The research also exposes the failure of state regulation. Only a small fraction of drivers have any form of social protection. Despite performing essential work, women ojol drivers are excluded from labour rights such as maternity leave, sick pay, or job security. Most are categorised as ‘partners’ rather than employees, allowing companies to avoid legal obligations. This pseudo-partnership, Konde argues, is a convenient fiction used by platforms and government alike to shirk responsibility.
Organisations like the Serikat Demokrasi Pengemudi Indonesia (SDPI) and all-women collectives such as Gayatri have emerged in response to these injustices, building solidarity and demanding structural reform. Women drivers are calling for recognition as formal workers, transparent algorithms, fair compensation, safety mechanisms, and labour protections that account for their specific needs.
At its core, the report paints a vivid portrait of how the intersection of gender, class, and digital labour creates unique vulnerabilities. Far from being beneficiaries of the gig economy, women ojol drivers are among its most exploited participants. As Tia’s story makes clear, surviving as a woman in the gig economy is not just a matter of navigating traffic and weather, it’s about resisting erasure in a system that profits from their invisibility.
Original article (“Jalan Terjal Ojol Perempuan, Bertaruh Pada Panas Aspal dan Algoritma: Hasil Riset Konde.co (1)”/ “The Steep Road of Ojol Wanita, Betting on Asphalt Heat and Algorithm: Konde.co Research Results (1)”), by Luthfi Maulana Adhari was published in Indonesian on 30 April 2025.
It’s available here.
Konde.co is an Indonesian feminist media platform that focuses on gender justice, labour, and human rights. Through investigative reporting, research-based features, and grassroots storytelling, it centers the voices of women, marginalised groups, and workers often excluded from mainstream narratives.
