All ‘work’ed up

BENGALURU: Priyanka Golikeri, mother of a three-year-old decided to make the switch from the corporate world to freelancing with the birth of her child. She has not looked back. “Coming back home after a demanding day to a young child that requires as much attention can be exhausting,” says Golikeri, who admits that if she were in Mumbai-- where she grew up-- she would have thought several times before taking this decision. “In comparison to Mumbai and Delhi, the standard of living in Bengaluru is slightly lower, which makes it possible for many to take this option,” she says. 

Golikeri’s thoughts resonate with a pan-India survey by Refrens.com, a city-based invoices and payment system for freelancers, which shows that at a national level, 32 per cent of the current women freelancers held a job earlier. However, the same number is around 81 per cent for Bengaluru. “Bengaluru has a high percentage of nuclear families and people who come to the city for jobs.

That is why post-wedding and having kids, many women in Bengaluru opt for freelancing to strike that balance,” says Naman Sarawagi, founder of the platform. He adds: “It is a good alternative career option for women who wish to draw a balance between family and work, thanks to the flexibility in work schedule that freelancing has to offer.”Human resources professional Meenakshi Devi feels that the traffic in the city can also be a reason here. “It could be because someone wants to cut short on commuting time especially in a city like Bengaluru,” Devi says.  

A wish to strike a work-life balance is also contributing to the rising trend, says HR professional Priyanka Pareek. “Considering the city is the IT hub, there are several opportunities available to those who want to pick and choose the kind of work they want to do,” she says.  Golikeri also points to the start-up environment due to which many break away from the corporate culture. “In a way we are also like mini entrepreneurs. As a freelancer, you have to manage multiple things, including working with a variety of clients,” she says.  

Figure this
40% of women freelancers in India are mothers. In Bengaluru, the figure is 55%  
At a pan-India level, 32% of current women freelancers were doing a job earlier, however the same number is around 81% for Bengaluru. Writing, teaching and designing are among the top professions for women freelancers in India. In B’luru, many opt for software development and QA.