The United Nations Global Compact Network Singapore (UNGCNS), Kantar and Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, announced the release of a comprehensive regional study: “Women in
the Driver’s Seat: Driving Economic Inclusion for Southeast Asia’s Women through Ride-Hailing and Delivery”. Engaging a representative sample of 42,000 participants – including both men and women – across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, this study examines the motivations, barriers, and transformative impact of platform work on women across the region. 

The study identifies a massive “Total Addressable Market” of over 40 million eligible and high potential women in Southeast Asia, referred to as “prospective drivers”, who are qualified and open to flexible income-generating opportunities through ride-hailing and delivery platforms. By addressing the systemic “time poverty” caused by the unequal distribution of care work. 

Key Regional Insights

• Macro-Economic Value: USD 0.8 billion in economic output was generated by Grab women driver-partners across Southeast Asia in 2025. 
• Economic Inclusion: 22% of the Grab women driver-partners report that they had no active income prior to joining platform work; this is 2.4 times higher than men.
• Flexibility: 59% of women driver-partners cite lack of flexibility as the biggest barrier to participating in traditional models of work.
• Safety: Safety is the top concern for 75% of prospective drivers. Grab has strengthened its ecosystem through platform-wide tools like AudioProtect and Selfie Verification, alongside specialised features such as “Women Passengers Preferred”, with 8 in 10 Grab women driver-partners reporting that Grab’s safety features enhance their sense of safety.
• Advocacy and Growth: 85% of women partners encourage their female friends and family to join.
• Personal Impact: 80% of women driver-partners have an improved quality of life after participating in platform work.

David Fogarty, CEO of UN Global Compact Network Singapore, said, “Achieving the 2030 Agenda will require a fundamental shift in how we design work and participation in the economy. Reducing gender gaps and advancing access to decent, flexible work is central to delivering on both the Sustainable Development Goals and the ‘Social’ dimension of ESG. The Sustainable Development Goals call for an economy that delivers both gender equality and dignity in work. This research highlights how digital platforms, when designed responsibly, can help bridge long-standing gender gaps in labour force participation by enabling women to access flexible and secure income opportunities. At UN Global Compact Network Singapore, we believe that advancing gender equality and access to decent, fairly compensated work is not only a social imperative but an economic one, and will be critical to the region’s long-term resilience and competitiveness.”

Cheryl Goh, Group Head of Marketing, Sustainability, Loyalty and Support at Grab, said, “On our platform, women driver-partners generally show higher productivity levels than men, while delivering comparable ratings and even receiving higher tips. This is a strong indication of their capability to be powerful value creators for the economy, if they are able to access time autonomy. When women have the flexibility to choose when and how they work, we see ripple effects across the region, from greater financial freedom to invest in their children’s education, for example, or to have the confidence to start their own small businesses. This is why we are firmly committed to making opportunities on our platform more accessible to women, by continually removing key barriers to entry such as lack of flexibility, and safety, and ensuring that Grab remains a credible, safe and rewarding pathway for women to reclaim their economic agency and find meaningful work.”

The study’s findings demonstrate that platform work acts as a significant catalyst for narrowing the regional gender gap. By providing a viable alternative to traditional employment, platforms like Grab allow women to transform their personal economic standing while balancing their existing commitments. Through the Grab ecosystem, women are able to transform their own lives and the lives of those around them through work.

The full report can be found here.