Factors Contributing To Women Involvement In The Marching Trade In Moshi Municipality

ABSTRACT

A heavy burden of lack of employment, poor social services, and bureaucratic hassles drives many producers into the informal sector. This situation is a consequence of either the ignorance or the negligence, of the state authorities. Moshi municipality is among the towns in Tanzania where “marching trade” is practiced. This is an exceptional case where through observation women are highly involved in marching trade. This study was designed to determine factors contributed to women involvement in marching trade in Moshi municipality. The study was conducted in three purposively selected wards namely, (Kiboriloni, Bondeni and Mawenzi). Random selection and snowball techniques were used to collect data. Structured questionnaire was employed to a sample of 84 women engaged in marching trade. Cross-sectional design was used to obtain data and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze data; where frequencies, percentages and cross tabulations were developed to determine relationships between variables. The results revealed that marching traders were women aged 19 to above 54 years, generally of low education level, and low income. Furthermore, the study discovered that much income accrued from “marching trade” was used for subsistence needs, and expanding activities or diversify projects. Marching trade contributed to income stability as well as reduced households’ poverty. It was recommended that Women Marching Traders be offered knowledge and credit so that they improve their skills and stabilize their businesses, as viable traders instead of walking too much in streets. Finally, participatory bylaws enforcements should be used to ensure security of traders and their merchandize.