Challenges faced by Women vendors working in markets
WOVNET is working to empower women market vendors in effort to address gender-based
violence faced in market places. We organize dialogues aimed at highlighting out the challenges
market women vendors face and propose solutions. We enable women market vendors to
interface with authorities. From previous dialogues, women market vendors listed a number of
challenges they face while working in the markets. Some of the challenge’s women vendors face
include sharing toilets with men, untimely collection of garbage, lack of children facilities
among others. We work with authorities to plan and build special toilets for women in all the
markets. We work with relevant authorities to provide a special place where breast feeding
Addressing Challenges of Women Street Vendors in Uganda
Although the women street vendors pay their taxes daily, the local governments have not been
supportive at all in ensuring a safe environment for these women who frequently meet challenges
not limited to destruction of property, confiscation of their goods and street gang battery. These
women work in a dismal environment with high risk to car accidents and health issues due to
limited or no access to basic health and hygiene facilities. Aside from their economic challenges,
they are also faced with domestic challenges that come as a result of their long absence from
home. These challenges include impending marriage separations and break-ups and maltreatment
from their spouses. There is no legal protection offered to the women street vendors in Uganda.
Though, the Local government provides various licenses, street vending business is not included
thus being seen as an illegal business. The question then, is why the local governments continues
to collect tax from them. The women street vendors have no access to finance like loans through
formal financial institutions like banks – leaving them the tasking, traditional way to borrow
from their relatives and families.
great work