An Informal Economy of Women in Asmara (Eritrea): A Case Study

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J. Lalu Naik1, K. Surendranadha Reddy2, and M. Surendra3 (Department of Anthropology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh1,2 and Department of Sociology & Anthropology, College of Business and Social Sciences, Adi Keih, Eritrea, East Africa3)

This case study focuses on the participation of women street vendors in the central business area of Asmara, Eritrea, particularly around the chicken market and outlying streets. Women who fail to find jobs in the formal sector engage in alternative work in the informal economy (street vending). Today, many street vendors depend on their illicit business to earn them and rescue themselves from different poverty levels. This case study seeks to examine the involvement of women in street vending activities. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the apparent literature gaps by utilizing qualitative and ethnographic analysis of the cause of their participation and the problems they encounter. This study applied anthropological ethnographic fieldwork methodology. Furthermore, the study involved participant observation, semi-structured and in-depth interviews and photographs as a leading data collection method among the women vendors. Implementing these research methods examined the overall daily routine and livelihood of the street vending women. Additionally, focused on the reasons why they engaged and what practical problems they faced, both during the work in the street and other socio-cultural problems in their home, were examined and described in this literature.