Women's dominance in the informal sector in Gaborone, Botswana

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out why the informal business sector in Gaborone, Botswana is dominated by women. The study adopted the qualitative research method in order to tell the women’s stories and experiences as they told them. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select 12 women who operate particular informal businesses around Gaborone. Using in-depth interviews, observation and photography, the study established that the women dominate the informal business sector due to unemployment which is a result of low levels of education. In addition, the study found out that some women are pushed into the streets to eke for a living in the informal business sector because of the need to provide for children whose fathers have disserted. Interestingly, the study revealed that some women have decent jobs but they engage in the informal business sector to fulfil their desire for autonomy while others do it to satisfy their entrepreneurial spirit.