Iewduh: Socio-Economic Vulnerabilities of Women Vendors

Abstact Women play a pivotal role in maintaining socio-economic resilience, acting as primary caregivers and breadwinners within their families and communities. While women in many regions face restrictions regarding public economic participation, the traditional markets of Northeast India the Ima Keithel (Women’s Market) in Manipur with its informal Marup micro-finance networks, highlight a long-standing tradition of female entrepreneurship. Similarly, in Meghalaya’s matrilineal context, Khasi women are central to household and informal trade economies. Under the constitutional framework of the Sixth Schedule, traditional markets within the Khasi Hills fall under the jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the customary administration of local Syiemships. Focusing on Iewduh (Bara Bazar) in the East Khasi Hills under Hima Mylliem, this study examines the acute precarity experienced by women vendors despite their vital economic presence. Notwithstanding their central role in commerce, these vendors operate under severe financial instability, low educational attainment, inadequate healthcare access, and minimal social safety nets. Compounded by their duties as breadwinners of the family and their exclusion from traditional decision-making bodies, women vendors face distinct gender-specific vulnerabilities and a lack of basic market infrastructure. By utilizing Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with women vendors in Iewduh, this study will capture their lived experiences to offer evidence-based recommendations for securing vendor livelihoods, enhancing market infrastructure, and fostering inclusive regional development.