Women In Informal Sector Research Articles

Mapping the Livelihood Vulnerabilities of Women Informal Workers in Coimbatore District During Covid-19

The present study was undertaken to examine the women informal worker’s socio economic profiles, nature of work and challenges faced by them during COVID – 19 in Coimbatore district. Empirical research design has been adopted. Primary data has been collected from women informal workers residing in Coimbatore District. Five specific informal sector groups namely, construction workers, street vendors, waste-pickers, domestic workers and homeless persons have been considered for the study. Considering that a very limited database of informal sector workers exists, sample of 149 informal workers in 11 taluks of Coimbatore District has been chosen using snow-ball sampling technique. Interview schedule will be adopted to collect data from the women workers. Data collected has been analyzed using Percentage analysis and weighted average ranking method. The findings of the study reveals that the COVID-19 lockdown have increased debt of the women in informal sector. The study also found that the expectations of this workforce from the government, including minimum wages, job security, and improved workplace safety. Overall, these findings call for targeted interventions and policy measures to address the specific needs and challenges faced by women informal workers, ultimately contributing to their resilience and well-being.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS (FWAS) AND ITS IMPACT FOR WORK-LIFE BALANCE OF WOMEN’S WORKFORCE

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) have become attractive aspects of working models, in response to the changing needs of the modern workforce and advancement in digital technologies especially after the Covid 19 Pandemic. FWAs promote achieving work-life balance (WLB) among workers that limits stress and permits family care. FWAs are consistent with several goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in achieving gender equality, good health and well-being, decent work and economic growth. International Labour Organization (ILO) also promotes productive work, decent working time and combining work, family and personal life. Hence, this qualitative study which can be considered as action research-based will study the the implementation of (FWAs) in resolving the issue of lower rate of female labor force in employment, challenges encountered by female led households to secure jobs, and accommodate the women in professional occupation. The data is collected from previous studies and reports with regard to the issue of women participation in the workforce and work-life balance. The objective of this research is to examine Malaysian women’s participation trend in the workforce and the extent the FWAs and WLB influence the trend. Additionally, it explores some practices of FWAs in promoting WLB at workplaces both in public and private sectors. Finally, the paper is aimed to investigate the Malaysian existing policies on FWAs in supporting WLB. This research found that Malaysia shows a consistent low participation of women in employment compared to men. Some prevalent reasons resulting in the trend are marriage status, female led households who had difficulty to be in employment, and higher involvement of women in informal sectors. All these reasons are closely associated with difficulty to balance work and life. The implementation of FWAs at selected workplaces either in public or private sectors is positively accepted by both employers and employees but with lack of evidence to confirm the implementation is truly motivated by WLB ideology. Lastly, the Malaysian approach is to remain the implementation of FWAs on a voluntary basis supported by general provisions in the Employment Act 1955 regarding the right to request for FWAs and internal workplace policies to manage the requests.

Financial Literacy among Women: An Analysis of the Etikoppaka Toy Industry

Numerous scholarly works have thoroughly investigated the disparity in financial risk-taking between genders. It has been observed that women exhibit a lower propensity to invest in high-risk financial assets, which can be attributed to their relatively slower accumulation of wealth over an extended period of time. It aims to understand how financial literacy can enhance women's economic empowerment and independence. The research delves into the imperative need for financial literacy among women in the two-centuries-old Etikoppaka handloom industry. It explores their socio-economic transition within the internationally acclaimed toy industry of Etikoppaka in India. The study focuses on the Etikoppaka handloom industry, comprising two categories of women: formal employees earning wages and informal workers supporting their husbands without monetary compensation. An exploratory research design was applied to arrive at the inferences. Data is collected from 40 females actively engaged in the toy industry, supplemented by two focus group discussions with stakeholders. The data was analyzed using two financial models, i.e., Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011 (OECD) basic principles of money. Financial literacy is crucial for women's empowerment in the Etikoppaka handloom industry. Formal sector women have better understanding of financial concepts than informal sector women. Customized programs that consider local culture and involvement of civil society organizations and grassroots initiatives are necessary for positive economic outcomes. This study's outcomes have significant implications for policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society organizations working towards women's economic development in the handloom industry.

A comparative study of exclusive breastfeeding between mothers of formal and informal sector workers in Ede north local government area, Osun State Nigeria

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is helpful in reducing infant morbidity and mortality throughout the first six months of life. However, despite aggressive marketing, just 13-36% of Nigeria infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the knowledge, practice and factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among informal and formal sector workers in Ede north local government, Osun State. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 285 respondents from formal and informal sector workers with child(ren) aged 0-24 months. Results: Results showed a significant difference in knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding between formal and informal sector workers. Factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding include lactation, job hindrances, and crèche availability. The practice of EBF was low among mothers in the formal sector, and the factors impacting its practice reported in this study may have substantial implications for breastfeeding intervention programs. Conclusions: As a result, attempts to promote EBF should target specific populations of informal sector women and areas where it is underutilized. Moreover, mothers must be supported. Furthermore, mothers should be encouraged to attend antenatal care where they will learn about the benefits of exclusive nursing to children under the age of six months, allowing them to make informed decisions on exclusive breastfeeding. The Nigerian government should ensure that the employment act’s maternity leave benefits are implemented in the informal sector, allowing women to practice EBF.

With the help of the family! Using Sri Lankan informal sector women entrepreneurs' family resources to develop their creative self-efficacy

This study explores how family-to-business enrichment (FBE: instrumental and affective) can develop creative self-efficacy (CSE), and thereby creativity and innovation in women entrepreneurs in the informal sector in an emerging country context. In doing so, we integrate perspectives of the work-family interface with Social Cognitive Theory. Survey data were collected from a sample of 470 informal sector women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to test the hypothesized relationships between FBE, CSE, creativity and innovation. Findings show that both the affective and instrumental dimensions of FBE positively influence women entrepreneurs' CSE, which in turn leads to higher levels of creativity and innovation. Recommendations are made on how best to help informal sector women entrepreneurs to utilize their family resources for their creativity and innovation.

Intersectionality and Domestic Work: Gendered Impact of Covid-19 In India

There is a dearth of empirical studies that documents the experiences of women, working in the informal sector, in dealing with Covid-19 induced hardships. There is a knowledge gap on how various informal sector workers survived the crisis and what role social security and social support played in bailing out the distressed workers. Using domestic workers of Lucknow as a case in point, this empirical research contributes to understanding how intersectionality plays a role in their ability to benefit from the (formal) social security and (informal) social support system. The study reveals four specific typologies of domestic workers viz. – precarious subjugates, marginally penurious, enterprising dexterous, and networked ingenious, based on their differential ability to gain from formal social security and (informal) social support The study found that rather than social support from close friends and relatives, the domestic workers relied more on the aid provided by the government and client households. Conceptually, this article integrates the formal social security and informal social support system to provide a holistic view of the ground realities of how women in informal sector survived the Covid-19 induced hardships.

Sociodemographics of Formal and Informal Sector Women Workers of Pakistan and a Comparison of their Perceived and Practiced Autonomy

The majority of Pakistani women are employed in the informal sector of the economy, devoid of protection, safety, and employment benefits, which prevents them from having autonomy. In this study, we aimed to identify (i) the differences in socio-demographic characteristics of formal versus informal sector women workers and (ii) compare the perceived and practised autonomy between the two groups. We used a convenience sample of 150 women, half each from the informal and formal sectors of the economy, specifically the teaching sector. We were able to find through mean analysis that women from the informal sector have higher autonomy. We also found that informal sector women workers in the country are impoverished, illiterate, non-Muslims, living in underdeveloped areas, and have no property ownership. There is a critical need to support policy for transfer to formal sector employment and to develop interventions to improve autonomy in working women.

INFLUENCE OF SOCIO ECONOMIC FACTORS ON STAPLE FOOD PRODUCTION. A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW

Purpose: Agricultural management practices are key for higher production and are influenced by training as well as financial resources which enable farmers to adopt better practices as well as new farming methods. The general objective of the study was to the study was to establish influence of socio economic factors on staple food production..
 Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.
 Findings: The study found out that most of the farmers were marginalized on gender, age and education and still suffers inequalities in the development ladder. Gender inequality is still in existence and plays a major role in placing the women in informal sectors, in limited wages employment activities it is an outstanding factor that plays a major role in food insecurity at house hold level. Land is a major resource for food production and majority of the small scale farmers’ occupied land that was self-owned which was less than 1 acre and was not adequate for food production for sustainable food security
 Recommendations: The study recommends that that the extension services should be improved through retraining of existing extension workers , increasing the number of the extension service providers at farm levels .The government should also increase the facilitation of extension service so as to enable service delivery through training, demonstration , farm visit as well as group trainings amongst other training avenues so as to ensure the farmers are equipped with the right knowledge and technology for staple food production

DEGRADATION OF AFLATOXIN IN MAIZE USING FERULIC ACID (PHYDROXY-3-METHYL CINNAMIC ACID) CATALYZED BY HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Purpose: Agricultural management practices are key for higher production and are influenced by training as well as financial resources which enable farmers to adopt better practices as well as new farming methods. The general objective of the study was to the study was to establish influence of socio economic factors on staple food production..
 Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.
 Findings: The study found out that most of the farmers were marginalized on gender, age and education and still suffers inequalities in the development ladder. Gender inequality is still in existence and plays a major role in placing the women in informal sectors, in limited wages employment activities it is an outstanding factor that plays a major role in food insecurity at house hold level. Land is a major resource for food production and majority of the small scale farmers’ occupied land that was self-owned which was less than 1 acre and was not adequate for food production for sustainable food security
 Recommendations: The study recommends that that the extension services should be improved through retraining of existing extension workers , increasing the number of the extension service providers at farm levels .The government should also increase the facilitation of extension service so as to enable service delivery through training, demonstration , farm visit as well as group trainings amongst other training avenues so as to ensure the farmers are equipped with the right knowledge and technology for staple food production

The Present Scenario of Women Laborer in the Informal Sector: A Study on Dhaka city

Informal sectors play a significant role in the economic growth of Bangladesh. Here women workers are the main impetus factor for economic growth. So, the key objective of our research was to find out the present situation of women laborers in the informal sector and they are facing such problems in their working place. We have selected 60 women from the informal industrial area of Dhaka city. This area of different field and the majority of them were from garments sector, those are 43%. We have collected their demographic and socio-economic information to understand their livelihood process. We found utmost of them are 25-30 years old and 50% of workers are married. 82% of employees live in a nuclear family because most working women earn 6000-7000 taka (which is 22%) which is not sufficient to maintain a joint family. This research also finds that 70% of the workers are migrated from rural to urban areas and they have left their families behind in the villages. There are a lot of causes for them to migrate. This study also finds very important and shocking data that almost every woman (99.33%) is facing several types of problems in their workplaces. Our intention of this research was to trace out the real scenario of the present situation of women informal sector workers and we have attempted our best to do. The researcher, to develop the present condition and banishing the obstructions for the women laborer in their working place, this study will be helpful to the policymakers and a proper policy can be introduced by the appropriate authority of Bangladesh for the welfare of women the informal sector workers. That will help the nation to gain more economic growth.

Health care payment practice, perception and awareness of national health insurance scheme by market women in Enugu Metropolis South-East Nigeria.

Introductionhealth insurance is in the fore front of health financing and achievement of universal health coverage for all. It provides a means of coping with some of the risks faced by individuals in achieving optimal healthcare. Women are vital in the family especially when it comes to the health of their children. We therefore set out in this study to assess the healthcare payment method of women in the informal sector and their awareness of the National health insurance scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria.Methodsthe study was a cross sectional descriptive survey involving women traders who were aged 18 years and above. Three hundred and fifty-three (353) womens were recruited using semi-structured interviewer questionnaire and data was analyzed using SPSS version 22.Resultsthe prevalence of awareness of NHIS among the women was 57.5% and educational status was contributor to awareness of the scheme. Also, only 9.9% of the women were registered under the NHIS and out of pocket payment for healthcare was practiced by as much as 88.7% of the respondents. Most respondents had poor perception about the scheme with 60% believing that the government cannot be trusted to keep its end of the bargain with regards to the NHIS.Conclusionthe need for awareness of the NHIS especially in the informal sector for women is brought to fore. The policy -makers should take into account how women in informal sectors should be captured to enrol in the NHIS in order to expand its coverage and this enrolment should be compulsory.

Entrepreneurship and women’s economic empowerment in Zimbabwe: Research themes and future research perspectives

This article explores women’s entrepreneurship research conducted in Zimbabwe. For this purpose, a literature review approach was adopted where all journal articles published between 1990 and 2018 that addressed the issues of women entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe were searched and analysed. The articles were searched on Google Scholar using the following keywords: women entrepreneurs, women small business owners, women in informal sector and Zimbabwe. In total, 11 articles were retrieved, indicating a dearth of research studies on women entrepreneurship, particularly from the formal sector perspective, giving a glimpse of the entrepreneurship landscape in Zimbabwe. The content analysis of the selected articles resulted in the identification of eight themes: (1) feminism perspective, (2) informal sector trading, (3) motivations for entrepreneurship, (4) entrepreneurship characteristics, (5) obstacles in entrepreneurship, (6) socio-cultural challenges, (7) cross-border trading and (8) coping strategies within the context of women entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe. Discussions on these themes were situated within the broader literature and trends on existing women entrepreneurship literature. The study has implications at a practical and theoretical level. Supporting women entrepreneurship has positive effects on poverty reduction in agreement with the Sustainable Development Goals, and this study suggests women’s empowerment to operate at higher echelons of the business sector with bespoke support mechanism that fosters sustainable development. Also, the study proposed suggestions for future research on women entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe and other African countries.

Organising Work as Migrant Domestic Workers and Construction Workers in the National Capital Region of India

Exodus of migrant workers from different cities in India has brought the issues of migrant workers into light. The discourse in the public domain mainly focusses on male workers where women are more portrayed as mothers. Gender studies scholars (Mazumdar et al. 2013) have always raised concerns on the overemphasis of the social angle of women’s migration. This paper brings forth how migrant workers, all women, had organised their productive-reproductive continuum in Delhi and Gurugram as construction workers and domestic workers. They had come to the National Capital Region (NCR) in search of livelihoods. Their work continuum is discussed in the backdrop of the economic distress that led to migration, the working conditions (wages and leaves) and social security provisions (maternity benefits and childcare) they were entitled to as workers in the cities. The objective of the paper is to understand the structures that influenced the organisation of productive-reproductive continuum of migrant informal sector women workers and also to demonstrate the processes of multiple marginalisation.

Role of Women in Inclusive Growth and Sustainability: An Indicative Study

The economic face of gender inequality is not new; it existed in extreme forms and manifestations in the past also. Over the years, gender inequality has been translated in several forms, which include invisibility, glass ceiling, pink ceiling, wage gap, hindrances in career growth and access to capacity building. The developed world is also struggling to address issues of gender inequality and sustainable economic growth. Countries that have overcome this, are on high growth trajectories. Pakistan poses a dismal picture, low female labor force and economic participation remains a major contributor to Pakistan's low GDP. The issue of economic gender parity, if addressed, can therefore become a catalyst for Pakistan's future growth target. The acknowledgment of women's contribution to the society is undervalued. In addition, the proportion of women in informal sector is higher than in formal sector of economy. Thus, women are not showcased in inclusive growth and sustainability paradigms. Marriages, societal constraints, mobility issues, security situations, lack of encouragement of entrepreneurial start-ups, insufficient exposure to decision making roles and poor awareness about career growth are some of the factors that impede women's contribution to inclusive growth. The consensus is to increase women's visibility, participation and access, create equal opportunities and nurture a healthy work environment. This research attempts to contribute to the intellectual discourse through an indicative study in an urban setting, an indicative survey and interviews were conducted to ascertain the current mindset and status of women in workforce and their contribution to economic growth and sustainability. The sample size is 100+ females who have completed higher education degree in the last ten years. The hypothesis is backed by the Feminist Economic theory which demands wage and role equality in economic policy making and also questions division of labor at homes and in societies.

Getting and Keeping a Foot in the Door: Strategies by Migrant and Informal Sector Women to Remain Relevant in the Labour Market

This work was supported by Mistra Urban Futures Abstract United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 and 8 focus on gender equality; decent work and economic growth respectively. The achievement of these goals requires a realization that gender parity is significant to the growth of global economies, and that meaningful inclusion of women in the labour market is a major contributor to reducing the global gender gap. Over the years, there has been an increase in the participation of women in the labour market. Despite the various measures put in place, this inclusion continues to be hampered by structural and cultural factors. However stereotypic roles and responsibilities as well as systematic structural inequalities within the labour market continue to serve as barriers to optimal involvement and participation in gainful employment. This article seeks to explore these gender related inequalities that threaten to exacerbate women’s economic vulnerability and dependence for specific localized groups of women in Kenya and Sweden. Using a framework based on structure, culture and agency, the article illuminates how these women navigate challenges presented by the nature of the job, multiplicity of roles and language as an empowering tool. Key insights from the study established that the women in the different contexts experienced similar threats and used their agency to maneuver these so as to participate as effectively as they could in the labour market. The coping mechanisms employed by these women present opportunities for policy makers and advisors in both contexts to explore in the quest to improve women’s participation in the workforce. Keywords: Gender, Labour Market, Migrants, Informal Sector, Social Networks, Agency. DOI : 10.7176/RHSS/9-22-02 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Empirical Study of Intergeneration Transmission of Factors among the Women Working in the Informal Sector

Women workers in Informal sector contribute significantly towards the transmission of physical, financial, economic, social and cultural factors intergeneration. The attempts to give insight into how the factors such as economic condition, living conditions, basic amenities, reason for work, status in family financial conditions, social and working conditions are transmitted and how significant is the contribution of attributes when they worked as a child, and as an adult. The working women in Informal sectors have neither change nor significant improvement in the factors under consideration despite working as child, adult and as they grew old. The objective of the paper is to find out the intergeneration transmission of factors depending on the stage of generation among the working women in Informal sectors. The research methodology adopted is descriptive and explanatory in approach. Primary data has been collected through structured interview schedule. The sample size is 485 female workers working in Informal sector. The research paper has implications for managers and researchers.

ANALISIS DAMPAK KARAKTERISTIK DEMOGRAFI PADA PEROLEHAN PENDAPATAN PEKERJA PEREMPUAN SEKTOR INFORMAL DI KOTA PALEMBANG

This study aims to explain the impact of demographic characteristics on the income earning of informal sector workers in Palembang City. The method used mixed methode, which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative. Data collection by observation, interview and documentation. Data obtained from the informant selected by purposive sampling. Collected quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS Program through the analysis of frequency decryption and crosstabs, while the qualitative analysis used the steps of reduction, display, and conclution. The validity of data uses degree of credibility with techniques of persistence enhancement, extension of observation, triangulation, and member checking. The results showed that demographic characteristics such as; age, status, education, skills and occupation have an impact on the earnings of informal sector women's incomes whereas training has no impact on the earnings of informal sector workers

Labour Security and Urban Informal Women Workers: A Comparative Study of West Bengal

This work is with respect to labour security of women workers in urban informal sector in West Bengal. Labour security implies certain benefits (other than wage payments) to a person for being a labourer as his/her right or entitlement(s). Earlier studies suggest that informal women workers are more vulnerable than informal men workers. In this context, the paper attempts to examine whether urban informal sector women workers enjoy any labour security or not. For this purpose, a primary survey has been conducted in selected districts of West Bengal. On the basis of data collected, a labour-security index is calculated considering a reasonable number of relevant variables. A comparison of labour security status across gender, as well as type or workers, has also been carried out. Both women and men informal urban workers are found to be at lower level of labour security, but women performing better than men. Finally, the paper renders some useful policy suggestions in order to improve the existing labour security status of both men and women urban informal workers.

Bakul: Contribution of Rural Women to Family Economy through Informal Sector Activities

Economic contribution of bakul women (small tradeswomen) was manifested in informal sector activities such as merchants, laborers, homeworkers, and family workers. Rural society activities indicated cooperation between men and women. One job conducted by women in informal sector was bakul. The work is a progress for women regarding work division; however, it is also a challenge, especially for children education in the family. Research location was in Gunungpati Subdistrict, Semarang City. The research was conducted using qualitative approach. Research result shows that bakul women worked in informal sector to fulfill economic need of the family because the income from their husband was insufficient to fulfill daily needs thus they tried to look for additional income. Various types of empowerment for bakul women had been conducted either from the internal of bakul itself or from external. Through the empowerment, they were able to fulfill their daily needs such as to buy clothes, to send their children to school, to buy rice and side dishes, and even to give donation for the provision of basic needs.

Challenges and Support Mechanisms for Women in the Informal Sector in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria

Studies on women in informal sector have not sufficiently addressed their challenges and support mechanisms. This study was conducted among women in informal sector in Iwo, Osun State. Social network and liberal feminist theories were adopted. This exploratory research was conducted in three locations in Iwo town namely; Adeeke, Odori and Boku Soro. The selection of respondents was purposive, based on type and duration of involvement in business. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with respondents to elicit information on reasons for entry into business, challenges faced, support mechanisms available and awareness and utilization of loans from financial institutions. Data were analysed using content analysis and verbatim quotations. Reason for entry into the businesses included; interest, economic purpose, inability to get jobs, support to family and supplementing spouse income. Financial supports were from various trade associations and cooperative societies they belonged, while nonfinancial supports were close family members like children run errands and assist in processing raw materials to semi or finished products. Most respondents were aware of loans provided by various financial institutions, however, they hardly utilized them. There is the need to carry out adequate enlightenment and education women in accessing soft loans provided by microfinance banks in sustaining, improving and expanding their businesses.