Women’s contribution to urban livelihoods through informal sector activities in Kisii Town, Kenya

Abstract

Women in urban areas draw from a wide range of activities in the informal sector to secure livelihood needs for urban households. Their contribution to urban livelihoods continues to facilitate the development of assets and capabilities, supporting them to move beyond basic income generation towards increased economic resiliency. However, the significance of women‟s involvement in informal sector activities has largely been generalized with limited information on their contributions to urban livelihoods. The study sought to establish women‟s contribution to urban livelihoods through their involvement in market based activities, street based activities and their participation in social support networks within the informal sector in Kisii Town. This study reviewed literature on current debates on women‟s engagement in informal sector activities for urban livelihoods. The sustainable livelihood framework was used to guide the study as it focuses on how households construct their livelihoods within the broader social economic and physical context. The study population was drawn from the women population in the informal sector in Kisii town. Simple random sampling was employed for selection of the study sample size of 347 respondents. Data was collected using an interview schedule and direct observation, while data analysis employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to produce both descriptive and analytic findings of the study. The study findings established a statistically significant relationship between women market based activities and urban livelihoods Kisii town, as demonstrated by lower values of significance at 95%. It was also established that women street based activities within the informal sector had a statistically significant effect on urban livelihoods in Kisii town. Findings revealed that 63.4% of the street based activities were for the purpose of urban livelihood provision. Further, the study found that women participation in social support networks within the informal sector had a significant effect on urban livelihoods in Kisii town. The current study recommends that urban authorizes should put in policies to serve the needs of women traders operating in market and street spaces as well promote more accessible credit facilities. In addition, the informal sector be protected and promoted through enactment of supportive legislation as well as formulation of appropriate polices to safeguard the sector given its overall contribution to livelihood of many urban residents.