IST Study on Markets, Access and Nature of GBV

Women market vendors in Uganda provide consistent access to a wide range of much-needed goods, generate their households’ main income, create informal jobs within markets, and support the development of others through market women’s groups among several other valuable contributions to local communities, the informal and formal economy.

Regardless of these and other diverse ways by which market women add significant value, this has yet to translate into their increased access to markets or reduced vulnerability to gender-based violence in the market place and at home.

This report looks at women vendors within the marketplace and at home, to understand different aspects of market women’s working conditions as well as the key factors that shape this environment. The study considers market women’s relationships with key actors including market authorities, suppliers, customers and fellow women vendors in relation to how these affect their market access along with market women’s responses.

It also examines key factors such as market women’s legal access to safe workspaces; structures and systems that support or hinder their productivity and income generation; their gender-specific social protection needs; operational health and safety as well as regulations, policies, and programmes that govern, support or hinder their market access. The research also looks at market women’s experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), prevalence, market women’s understanding of women’s rights and the effectiveness of existing GBV responses.

Details on the study can be found here;  Women’s Market Access and Nature of GBV