Self Employment and Empowerment of Women: Special Reference to Women Vegetable Vendors in Kolhapur City

The present paper examines the role of Self Employment in the empowerment of women working in the informal sector, with special reference to vegetable vendors in Kolhapur City. Sixty percent of female workers in developing countries are employed by the informal sector. Informal sector provides self employment to the majority of women. A vast majority of women are self employed from their homes and street vendors also, which both are classified in the informal sector. Majority of Women are working as Vegetable Vendors. They are either street vendors or selling the vegetables by sitting in one place. Empowerment of women has emerged as an important issue in our society in recent years and it has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. Hence in the present study an attempt has been made to study the empowerment of women vegetable vendors. The objectives of study were to know the socio-economic background and working conditions, to assess the empowerment of women vegetable vendors and to know the relationship between self employment and empowerment. To assess the empowerment of women vegetable vendors social indicators such as decision making, status enjoyed, space for mobility, attitude of society etc and to assess the economic empowerment of women, improvement in the economic condition, control over earnings and expenditure etc were taken for present study.

The present study is based on primary as well as secondary data. The primary data were collected by using interview schedule and observation. A sample of 100 women vegetable vendors as respondents from Kolhapur City was selected by using accidental/convenience sampling technique for the study.

The data shows that majority of respondents are illiterate and are from above forty age group. Majority of vegetable vendors don't have any basic amenities such as drinking water, toilet facilities and shed facilities. They are struggling everyday to get space for vending and they don't have security also. They are expecting that these basic amenities from Mahanagarpalika, the local self government. Data reveals that due to this self employment their economic condition has improved but majority of them are not spending their own on earning themselves. They are not aware about government schemes. The study also reveals that there is close relationship between age and violence faced by women. Majority of vegetable vendors belongs to age group of forty above, so it is found that they are less prone to violence.