Poverty and deprivation remain and continue to be the major challenges that women face –
forcing them to economic roles as street vendors or domestic workers for sustenance of their
households. However, conducting business in Uganda is a challenge with financial institutions
giving limited access to loans especially start-up capital. Additionally, street-vending is usually
shunned and as a key part of the economy has given the women street vendors’ limited market
space to conduct their business – in addition to restricted provisions within city/town plans. In
each town/city in Uganda, there are women street vendors selling food stuffs, milk and second-
hand clothes making them an integral part of the informal sector and the country’s overall
economic development. Day after day, a great number of women are penetrating the informal
sector as vendors of small businesses due to the recurrent droughts and climate change. The
unfortunate outcome of these debilitating droughts, especially to the pastoral and agro- pastoral
communities is dead livestock. This has conversely increased the number of displaced
communities – where most of them are vulnerable, unskilled women.
Women Street vendors and their contribution to local government’s revenue
Women street vendors continue to play an important role in Uganda’s economic development
thus contributing significantly revenue generation. A recent baseline survey conducted in
November 2018 by WOVENET outlined that the local budget income per year generated from
the informal sector generated 40% to 65% of the total annual revenue, through daily tax
collection by the local governments. This represents the role of women street vendors and how
they contribute to the overall economy.
