Unlocking potential: How digital jobs are changing the lives of refugee women

Over recent years, there has been growing global interest in engaging refugees in the digital economy, as many displaced people seek new ways to support themselves and their families in an increasingly connected world. A primary goal of this expanding digital livelihoods programming is to promote self-reliance by equipping refugees with the skills and tools to participate in online work. However, existing programmes often overlook the unique challenges and opportunities of the digital economy for refugee women, who face additional socio-cultural barriers to accessing work online, in the form of the digital gender divide.

So, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched a study to better understand this gender gap by focusing specifically on refugee women’s participation in digital livelihoods programmes in Jordan.

UNHCR is committed to enhancing refugees’ economic opportunities, and one of the ways it does so is through a Prospects Partnership project on the Promotion, Inclusion and Protection of Refugees in the Gig Economy, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented in collaboration with the International Labor Organization. This study is part of that project. It highlights the key benefits and challenges of digital livelihoods programmes for women, revealing insights that could inform future programming in Jordan and elsewhere, contributing to more inclusive and effective strategies for refugee women’s self-reliance.

Key takeaways from our study include the importance of centering women’s diverse needs in digital livelihoods programming, addressing socio-cultural barriers, and ensuring programmes are tailored to context and participants rather than one-size-fits-all. By collaborating with local stakeholders and considering women’s caregiving responsibilities, we can create more inclusive opportunities for refugee women to thrive.

The digital economy in Jordan

To put it simply, the “digital economy” refers, as a whole, to all economic activities that rely on digital technology. Engaging in the digital economy might involve, for instance, using the internet to buy and sell goods or services, work remotely, or run a business online. “Digital livelihoods” refer to these income-generating activities facilitated by the internet.

Jordan is often considered to be more advanced in fostering digital livelihoods as compared to other refugee-hosting nations around the world. Proactive policies, significant government investments, and collaborations with international partners mean the country is relatively well positioned to enable refugees to participate in the digital economy. Jordan hosts more than 680,000 refugees displaced by conflict and has become a hub for various digital livelihoods programmes aimed at integrating these communities into the digital economy both locally and internationally. The Jordanian government is making significant strides in enhancing digital skills across the nation, recognizing the vast potential of the digital economy.

This commitment is evident, for instance, in the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE). With support from the World Bank, the government’s Youth Technology and Jobs (YTJ) project aims to upskill more than 10,000 people in the country, around 15% of whom are Syrian refugees. Many humanitarian organizations in the country, including UNHCR partners, offer digital skills training, freelance work opportunities, and online business development, supporting refugees’ economic independence.

Taking a closer look

Despite this engagement from the government, it was clear we didn’t have enough information on either women’s experiences in the digital economy or humanitarian programming gaps on this front. Exploring this issue involved a multi-step approach, combining both desk-based research and empirical data collection. Initially, a literature review was conducted to provide context on digital livelihoods and the specific situation in Jordan. This informed the development of interview structures and questions for key informant interviews (KIIs).

The empirical data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders involved in digital livelihoods programming, including UNHCR staff and representatives from other organizations such as CONCAT Tech, Na’amal, and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation. A snowball sampling method was used to expand the number of interview participants, resulting in a total of 10 key informant interviews with 11 individuals.

Some key results of this research process are summarized below.

Why are refugee women increasingly turning to the digital economy?

Digital livelihoods — ranging from selling handcrafted items online to engaging in remote work as freelancers — have become an increasingly popular means of income generation for refugee women in Jordan. The flexibility of digital and remote work enables women to earn an income while balancing family responsibilities, and to circumvent limited access to the local labor market or cultural barriers that prevent them from working outside the home. For women who decide to start home-based businesses in fields like food processing, handicrafts, and tailoring, utilizing digital platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp allows them to effectively market their goods.

One refugee woman participant in Amman, for instance, told a previous research initiative:

“I received an order from an American customer once, and for someone my age who can barely use their phone, I was proud of myself to use a translation app to fulfill the order. I copy-pasted the messages back and forth and the customer was very happy with my pastries.”

 

Moreover, in Jordan, a growing number of organizations are supporting women’s participation in the digital economy. Organizations like CONCAT Tech and Na’amal connect skilled refugee women to remote work opportunities on global freelance platforms like Upwork, and advocate for the employment of refugee women. Within the digital livelihoods sphere, organizations such as iRole provide the necessary community support to help women overcome social isolation and cultural barriers.

What are some key challenges refugee women face in accessing digital livelihoods?

In Jordan, despite the existence of infrastructure designed to support their entry into the digital economy, many refugee women still face specific, gendered barriers to accessing digital livelihoods. These barriers, as well as potential solutions to them, include:

1. Caregiving responsibilities: Digital livelihoods programmes have the potential to enable refugee women to access flexible, remote work, allowing them to balance household responsibilities while earning an income. However, cultural expectations often limit women’s participation in these programmes, meaning they don’t have the chance to gain the necessary skills to start seeking online work. For example, many refugee women reported that childcare and domestic obligations prevented them from completing training programmes. These constraints are further aggravated by the age limits that humanitarian organizations often impose on participants. One way to increase female participation would be to remove age limits from training programmes, allowing women to build their careers after they are done with the bulk of childbearing and care
    
2. Cultural considerations and support systems: The design of digital livelihoods programmes must consider the diverse cultural backgrounds of refugee women. This study found that holding awareness sessions open to both men and women was an important preliminary step toward ensuring women felt comfortable to take part in digital livelihoods programming, since it created an opportunity for wider social buy-in. More often than not, the participation of Syrian refugee women in humanitarian programmes is contingent on support from the men in their lives and their wider community.
    
3. Narrow definitions of self-reliance: While digital livelihoods programmes are designed to promote “self-reliance”, this term is often defined exclusively in relation to economic productivity. Our study critically examined mainstream conceptions of self-reliance, arguing that an overemphasis on economic progress might miss the mark, with many women prioritizing other aspects of their lives, such as caregiving responsibilities mentioned above. Self-reliance for refugee women is closely tied to social inclusion, support networks both within the family and the community, good overall livelihoods, as well as economic well-being. Traditional self-reliance metrics typically focus exclusively on economic independence, often failing to consider other vital aspects such as social inclusion, mental well-being, and community support, which are crucial for long-term stability and success. Without formulating self-reliance as a goal composed of all these elements, even the best-designed digital livelihoods programmes are unlikely to achieve long-term success.
    
4. Interest-agnostic training: A recurring theme in the interviews conducted was the need to provide training based on market research, so that refugee women are equipped with the skills to competitively seek jobs in areas where there is market demand. However, this approach alone disregards women’s interests and prior work experience. Women’s willingness to work, and the fields in which they want to work, may not necessarily align with pre-defined, market-based strategies. Balancing both market-driven and interest-driven programmes, and ensuring women are well-informed of the choices and related risks and opportunities available to them, would be a more effective way to ensure their participation and success.
    
5. Lack of local expertise: Another major issue (although one that is improving now, with the implementation of the YTJ project) is a general lack of collaboration with local training providers and intermediaries who can offer tailored support and more specialized training that aligns with local market opportunities and leverages existing community networks, which could help to build trust and foster participation. Local training providers are often better positioned than humanitarian organizations to understand and cater to the cultural and social contexts in host countries where these women live. Involving local intermediaries can significantly enhance the integration of refugees into the local society by making spaces more inclusive and helping refugee women feel more connected to their host communities.