Agony and angst on the streets: Women fruit and vegetable vendors in northern india

Abstract

The increasing casualisation of work, squeezing of employment opportunities in the organised sector and government’s gradual withdrawal from its participatory and regulatory role during the neo-liberal era have exacerbated the sense of relative deprivation among the people and forced women to look for an easy refuge in informal sector employment such as street vending. Women vendors, most of whom come from the socially backward and economically deprived sections of society are trapped in a situation characterised by illiteracy, a low resource base, lack of opportunities for growth, and exploitation. They are forced to work for 12-14 hours a day for earning meagre amounts which are not even sufficient to make both ends meet, let alone ensure proper upbringing of their children and provide a decent life for them. The largely unorganised women vendors are totally unprotected. They face all kinds of exploitation from all possible agencies, including harassment and beatings; their belongings are snatched, and they are often dislocated and forced to face uncertainty of business without any social security/support. This paper points out that for a nation wherein inclusiveness is the avowed objective of official policy, it is crucial to understand and address the difficult situations and various problems faced by these women vendors. © 2017, Springer India. All rights reserved.