Informal sector entrepreneurship for women in China and India: building networks, gaining recognition, and obtaining support

Abstract

This paper focuses on informal sector entrepreneurship in China and India, and the challenges of developing and sustaining entrepreneurship programs in a sector not often recognized or supported by policymakers. I summarize potential benefits and barriers to organizing the informal sector. Next is a discussion of possible pathways to local/national organizing, examples of organizing strategies, barriers, and outcomes in both countries, and models of transnational networking. Here I review best practices from two organizations in India (the Self-Employed Women's Association and the Scrap Collectors Union) and two organizations in China (the Xi'an Domestic Workers Union and the Chinese Working Women Network). Although a small sample, the case studies illustrate the diversity inherent to organizational form, strategies for local and transnational networking, and pathway to benefit provision. To conclude, I discuss lessons learned, and suggest additional strategies for informal entrepreneurs to gain visibility and recognition.