Empowered by survival: women street vendors in Pakistan’s informal patriarchal economy

Abstract

Street vending in Pakistan serves as a vital survival enterprise for many women marginalised by the formal education sector and employment structures, driven by poverty and the urgent need to support their households. Operating within the informal economy, these women lack social security and institutional protection. This study aimed to highlight their challenges and inform protective policy measures. Purposive in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women street vendors from Lahore and Gujranwala, two major cities in Central Punjab. Findings reveal 16 key challenges grouped into five core areas: (1) financial instability, (2) work environment challenges, (3) safety and harassment issues, (4) work-family problems, and (5) health concerns. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions by the state, private sector, and civil society actors, including subsidisation, rent caps, increased surveillance and prompt accountability measures, deployment of women security personnel, and childcare support. These recommendations have broader implications, extending beyond women street vendors to benefit the wider informal workforce in Pakistan and other developing regions.