Beyond the Crisis: Oaxaca–blinder Evidence of Gendered Impacts in the Informal Markets, Case Study

The aim of this study is to analyze the socioeconomic conditions of merchants in three of most popular Quito markets: San Roque, Santa Clara, and La Floresta, during 2020–2022, and to quantify gender disparities in sales, purchases, and profits among self-employed workers. The analysis is based on 542 observations from an ad-hoc survey conducted by the Central University of Ecuador. Using the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition model, the study distinguishes gaps explained by observable characteristics from those associated with structural inequalities. Anchored in the care economy framework and incorporating an urban perspective, the paper examines how unpaid caregiving responsibilities and spatial inequalities constrain women economic participation and shape the dynamics of post-pandemic recovery. The results indicate that the COVID-19 crisis intensified pre-existing vulnerabilities and gender disparities. On average, men report sales 66% higher than women, with 63% of the difference explained by factors outside the control variables and a combined gap of 41%, although not statistically significant. In purchases, the difference reaches 78%, with 74% unexplained by observable characteristics. Profits show the largest disparity at 93%, of which 73% is attributed to unobserved factors and a combined difference of 75%. These findings reveal persistent gender and spatial inequalities in informal economy, where the dual role of women as income earners and caregivers, compounded by unequal urban access, limits economic autonomy and post-pandemic recovery.