Here’s Why Female Workforce are the Best Freelancers 

Most of us have heard of and participated in the debate around bringing women back to the workforce. Reasons for encouraging women to return to work range from - it is good economics for the families and the country; it expands the skill-set available in an organization; and it brings diversity to the workplace. 

One usually thinks that the absence of women from the workplace is either because women chose to leave the workplace due to their family responsibilities or because they are not getting the relevant opportunities to return to work after a sabbatical. Sometimes, women choose to leave due to lack of growth or challenging assignments. 

It would seem that the freelance economy would be an ideal solution to this problem. That it would bring women to the workforce and also address most of the other reasons and concerns due to which we lose female talent.

 But, it seems this is not so. 

According to a 2015 report published by Payoneer, in India, male freelancers outnumber female freelancers. Only 22% of freelancers are women. And, the pay gap experienced in the corporate world is also a reality of the freelance economy. It seems that the glass-ceiling prevalent in the workplace also applies to the freelance economy. 

This is why we felt it is necessary to highlight why or what makes women good freelancers:

1. They’re Driven to Achieve Success: Everyone is. But generally, women who turn to freelancing, because for some reason or the other they cannot be a part of the full-time workforce, are keen to prove their worth. These women, much like their corporate counterparts want to do good work, be recognised for it and be successful. We know, anyone who wishes to be successful will strive to put in good quality work. It’s always a good idea to have these women on your team. Don’t you think so? 

2. They’re Good Communicators: This characteristic of women is highlighted time and again as a reason for why there should be more women at the workplace. It is also a plus point when it comes to freelance work. Women will tend to ask more questions about the assignment and project, talk through the details, and communicate comparatively more than their male counterparts during the duration of the project. Given that most freelance work happens remotely or from home, the communication, when done right by all parties involved, will lead to a better result and comparatively less-rework. 

3. They’re Great at Multitasking: It’s no secret that in a day, women manage a multitude of different tasks requiring various skills. They manage all the work at home and at work without any hassles. They manage the house-help, the various vendors, and the household finance. They manage the various members of the family – kids, children, and spouse. This multitasking makes them natural managers. 

So, given the quantum of work that they manage in their regular life, the variety of tasks that a freelancer has to manage will come easily to them. 

4. They’re Creative: Certain skills come easy to women. Designing, writing, communication, and creation. We find more women in tasks involving these characteristics in full-time careers. So, it goes without saying that they’d excel at them when working from home as well. 

5. Women Can Work from Home: Women can work from home without any supervision. It’s as direct and as simple as that. 

6. They’re Responsible: Women are by nature responsible and diligent. Again, the fact that freelancing is not just a way for them to return to work, but in many cases a means to prove their professional qualifications, they tend to be more responsible towards delivering the tasks and achieving the results. 

These are just some of the reasons why women make for great freelancers. We’re sure you can find a few more quality characteristics if you get more talented women freelancers on your team. To find some talented women freelancers all you need to do is register at eWomen.co, a network of talented women freelancers in the field of project management, design, and development, admin and customer support, accounting and finance, and HR among other professions.