Negotiating Gender in Informal Labour Market: For Economic and Social Empowerment of Indigenous Women Street Vendors in Guwahati City, Northeastern India

Abstract

This study examines how gender is negotiated within the informal labour market of street vending and how such participation contributes to the economic and social empowerment of Indigenous women street vendors in Guwahati City, Northeastern India. Methodology: The research adopts a qualitative case study design complemented by descriptive survey methods. Empirical data were collected through a structured survey of 60 Indigenous women street vendors and 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in Guwahati over an eight-month period in 2022. Open-ended research questions and an interview schedule were used to elicit detailed life histories, work trajectories, and experiences of negotiation in public space. The analysis focuses on the feminisation of informal work and the intersection of gender, indigeneity, and informality in the urban economy. Main Findings: The findings indicate that street vending constitutes a crucial source of income, financial autonomy, and socio-economic mobility for Indigenous women, enabling them to contribute to household decision-making and improve their social standing. At the same time, these women continue to face pervasive structural barriers, including insecure work conditions, limited access to basic amenities and social protection, harassment and discrimination in public spaces, and ambiguous or exclusionary regulatory frameworks. The study shows that women rely on informal social networks, collective strategies, and everyday negotiations with authorities and male actors in the market to sustain their livelihoods. Applications: The results provide evidence to inform gender-sensitive urban planning and labour policies that formally recognise street vendors as workers and integrate them into inclusive regulatory and social protection regimes. The study can guide local governments, NGOs, and community-based organisations in designing interventions that improve working conditions, enhance access to infrastructure and services, and strengthen Indigenous women’s bargaining power in informal markets. It also offers insights for scholars and policymakers concerned with gender, informality, and urban development in other developing-country contexts. Novelty/Originality: This study offers an empirically grounded analysis of Indigenous women street vendors in Northeastern India an under-researched region in the literature on gender and the informal economy. By foregrounding Indigenous women’s own narratives and negotiation strategies, the article advances understanding of how feminist and intersectional dynamics operate within informal labour markets and urban public spaces. It contributes original evidence on the dual processes of feminisation and marginalisation in informal work, while demonstrating how informal street vending can simultaneously reproduce vulnerability and serve as a pathway to economic and social empowerment. Keywords: women street vendors; Indigenous women; urban informal economy; women’s economic empowerment; gender and labour; Guwahati City; Northeast India.