Women vendors' work histories in Port-au-Prince: what lessons can be learned for research and action?

Abstract

This paper reports on interviews with women street vendors in a poor neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. It describes the reasons why the vendors undertake this work, their income sources prior to becoming vendors, the importance of vending and, for some, other sources of income for family survival. It evaluates the significance of two notions often considered self-evident for women in such contexts: family assistance and community solidarity. It also analyzes the impact of gender relations on the vendors' access to work and on the possibilities of obtaining better livelihoods.