Women vendors seen in Kohima town. (Morung Photo by Atono Tsükrü)
Atono Tsükrü
Kohima | July 6
Street vending, for most Naga women from poor economic background has become as the main source of livelihood and sustenance for them and their children. Most of these women from rural background with low economic status, school drop-outs and illiterate are either widows or divorcee with 4-7 children dependent on their meager income.
Not many years ago, Naga women were confined within their homes with their designated role as homemakers, while men brought in the dough to feed the family. As years passed by, more women stepped out of their homes to take up livelihood activities.
Some took the business out of sheer compulsion due to lack of other opportunities, while for some, it is to add to the income of their husbands; for others, their husbands are either unemployed, drunkards or abusive. Women, thus, are seen selling agricultural produce along the pavements, sidewalks and roadside in almost every town in Nagaland State today.
A research by the Entrepreneurs Associate ‘Uplifting Women Street Vendors Project’ study of 1020 women street vendors from Kohima, Dimapur, Phek and Mokokchung over a period of two years has brought out some interesting findings.
On the marital status, 79.7% were found to be married while 9.8% were single and the remaining percentage comprises of widows and divorcee. Most of the widows and divorcee were found to be from Kohima, Dimapur and Phek.
On the number of children dependent on them, 65.7% were mothers of at least 1-5 children while 16.7% had around 6-10 children of their own.
In terms of education, 40.5% had had no education at all, 38.7% were found to have studied till Classes VI and X, while 17.7% studied till class V and a meager 2.8% has studied class 11 and 12. The findings stated that even amongst the women who did attend school; there are a huge number of dropouts.
On the number of years of vending, 35.9% of women have responded to have worked for 2-5 years while 31.6% for upto a year and 13.2% have been working for more than 11 years. However, it was found that despite working for 11 years, it did not positively affect their income earning capacity.
On the average time they spend on their business, 59% of women street vendors were found to have worked for 4-9 hours a day while 20.4% have been working for 10 hours and more.
Even as they spend most of their time, starting as early as 4:00 am till 7:00 pm, the daily income of 39.8% were found with an income below Rs 500, while 25% earned between the range of Rs 600 and Rs 1000, 16.5% earned around Rs 2100 and above in a day.
79% of the women vendors have taken up street vending to support family while only 5.1% have opted to become a street vendor to be independent.
Concerns and challenges
Although these women are catering to the needs of the urban masses, and also immensely contributing to the local economy, they are often, considered as nuisance and encroachers both by the public and local authorities.
They are considered as nuisance to pedestrians and traffic, and are subjected to harassment in the form of eviction, fine and tax imposed by the local authorities, and on the other hand they are subjected to endure the natural phenomena of the weather, come rain or sunshine.
Women street vendors are also compelled to do businesses in some of the most unhealthy and unhygienic places, thereby making them susceptible to various kinds of diseases. Adding to their woe is the absence of toilet and drinking water facilities.
The EA found that most of the women have complains of urinary tract infections and kidney infections due to abstaining from drinking water to avoid going to toilet.
