Women's work participation in fish vending: An empirical evidence from pondicherry region

The present study focuses on the women's participation in fish vending. The primary data was collected from peripatetic fish vendors who walk place to place to sell their fish in Kalapet, fishing village of Pondicherry region, Union Territory of Pondicherry. Using random sampling method 82 samples are collected from women fish vendors whose family income primarily based on the fish vending. To collect data interview schedule was used. The interview schedule consists on the socio economic conditions of the fish vendors, participation of fish vending, sources of money for fish vending and problems faced by the fish vendors while participating and so on. The study result suggests that with regard to age distribution the young women have not been participating in fish vending. The mean income of the vendor per day is Rs.111. More interestingly, 23.2 percent of the respondent received less than 90 rupees from fish vending. The demand for fish is not like other perishable commodity whose demand is regular. The fish vendor cannot sell same place daily and their daily business depends on many places. Accordingly some of them reported that they walk around 5 km per day to sell their fish. With regard to price fluctuation on the participation, some of the respondent reported that many a days they were return back without purchasing fish due to higher prices. Moreover, it was observed that, due to lack of demand, many a day’s some of the respondent return their fish to home. In addition to, major proportion of the income return to the interest plus principle on daily basis, due to non availability of banking services. Finally the study demonstrates that price stability and access to organized bank credit will be the reasonable measure by which the livelihood of fish vendors can be uplifted.