Women street vendors constitute a significant segment of the informal economy and they play an important role in sustaining urban livelihoods and local market systems. Despite their contribution to household income generation and urban economic activities, women street vendors continue to face numerous socio-economic and occupational challenges. The present study aimed to explore the socio-economic conditions, work-related challenges and coping strategies of women street vendors operating in the Beltola Market of Guwahati of Assam, India. The study adopted the descriptive method with 30 women street vendors as sample through the convenience sampling technique. Both quantitative and qualitative data were utilized for the study. Primary data were collected through an interview schedule and observation method. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed that most women vendors belonged to economically weaker sections and depended heavily on street vending for household survival. The major challenges faced by them included financial insecurity, inadequate market infrastructure, lack of sanitation and drinking water facilities, health-related problems, harassment, insecurity in public spaces, and irregular income. The study also found that despite these adversities, women vendors adopted various coping strategies to sustain their livelihoods and support their families.
Duarah et al. (2026) studied this question.