Marginalised Women at Risk: experiences and impacts of hyper-precarity and the growth of digitisation and AI in rural communities

Marginalised women face profound employment disadvantages, further compounded in remote and rural locations. The confluence of intersectional barriers in such environments places these women at an elevated vulnerability, at risk of hyper-precarity, causing deep concerns for their future and ability to meet basic needs. The burgeoning trends of digitisation and artificial intelligence further heighten the risks, with technological advancements already exerting a discernible influence on occupations characterised by instability.

Teams in the UK and Canada will use creative qualitative methods to explore key experiences and social imaginaries in this area. After in-depth interviews with women engaged in precarious employment (n=25), as well as employers and policy influencers (n=15) we will use sound-sourcing (or audio-diaries) to capture the voices and experiences of marginalised women (n=10). The data collected will be used to inform recommendations and provide insights into how to reduce inequities experienced by marginalised women in remote and rural areas.

Principal Investigator: Dr Caitlin Bawn, King's College London