3. Establishment of functional adult literacy and education programmes for the women street vendors, including the provision of teaching aids and materials during these education programmes. 4. The Government should formulate and implement policies, which guarantee equal access to education and training opportunities for disabled women street vendors. 5. Protective policies in the form of affordable loans, safer and cleaner vending markets, child care services, and public education can reduce the vulnerabilities of women street vendors at home and sustain their businesses.
Economic Empowerment According to the Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) 2016/17, over 10 million women were recorded to be in the working age (14-64 years) with about 75 percent of them working compared to 82 percent of men. In line with this, the unemployment rate was observed to be higher for women (14.4 percent) than for men (6.2 percent). Despite the existence of the Equal Opportunities Commission Act, which promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment, occupational segregation is still high as women are often restricted to low-skilled and lower paying jobs and continue to earn less than their male counterparts. The median nominal monthly earnings for women was estimated to be UGX. 110,000 which is half the median nominal monthly earnings for men (UGX. 220,000). This can be attributed to the large number of women confined to lower paying jobs. Also important to note is that women’s labour is not adequately captured or recognised in the country’s national accounts. Figure 1 below highlights some of the labour market disparities between men and women.
Source: National Labour Force Survey 2016/17 At its core, street vending is defined by a clear labour market failure: when high labour supply driven by rapid urbanisation and population growth coexist with low demand for low-skilled labour in the formal sector. Trading on the streets is often an obvious livelihood source for those who lack formal employment due to its low entry costs, its minimal capital and skill requirements and the access it provides to potential customers. Despite the socioeconomic exclusion that women street vendors face, their activities contribute to the formal sphere and are highly dependent on local and national patterns of supply and demand. Most women street vendors are severely constrained by a lack of access to capital due to prohibitive interest Making Her Visible
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