With the support of
Digital platforms are reshaping livelihoods worldwide, providing new opportunities for work, commerce, and financial inclusion. Yet access remains uneven, particularly for women, low-income workers, and marginalized communities.
Caribou, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, explored the intersection of platform livelihoods, poverty, and gender—identifying ways digital platforms can be more inclusive and empowering for underserved populations.
Themes explored included:
- The role of digital platforms in transforming traditional livelihoods, including independent resellers, nanostores, and ride-hailing drivers
- How platform-enabled financial services—such as embedded payments, credit, and savings—can expand financial inclusion
- The importance of digital public infrastructure in enabling platform participation, from identity verification to interoperable payments
- Actionable recommendations for governments, platform companies, and development organizations to design more inclusive digital economies
By leveraging the power of platform-enabled financial services, intentional service design, and strong digital infrastructure, this research provides a roadmap for ensuring that digital economies work for everyone—not just a privileged few.
