The Dilemma of Female Street Vendors in Indonesia: Can Local Regulations Empower Women in the Informal Sector?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/gijlss.v4i4.1304Keywords:
Local Regulations, Female Street Vendors, Informal Sector, Economic Empowerment, Gender PerspectiveAbstract
Female street vendors play an important role in sustaining household livelihoods in the informal sector, but their economic activities remain closely connected to regulatory, social, and gender-related vulnerabilities. This study aims to analyze the dilemmas faced by female street vendors in Indonesia and examine how local regulations can contribute to their empowerment. The study employed a qualitative approach supported by descriptive analysis and comparative policy analysis. Primary data were obtained through interviews with 200 female street vendors in Bogor Regency, West Java, and were analyzed thematically by identifying recurring issues and organizing them into broader themes. The respondents were characterized by age, marital status, and duration of trading activity, while the regulatory analysis examined national and local provisions concerning trading locations, business legalization, data collection, guidance, empowerment, and enforcement. The findings identify five major issues: legal uncertainty and regulatory vulnerability, limited access to economic resources, social stigma and gender norms, health and safety risks, and the double burden of domestic and economic responsibilities. Survey evidence indicates that respondents did not generally perceive registration, licensing, information provision, or harsh treatment by officials as widespread problems. Nevertheless, gaps remain between formal regulatory provisions and the livelihood realities of female street vendors. The study concludes that local regulations have greater potential to empower women when they combine spatial management with legal certainty, livelihood security, access to resources, and gender-responsive social support.
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