Why ‘mahila bazaars’ are catching on with female street vendors

They offer safe spaces free of harassment from police and male vendors

WrittenBy:Kshitij Malhotra
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In the shadow of Delhi’s tallest high-rise – the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Civic Centre – on Tagore road, more than 100 women set up shop at the capital’s only mahila bazaar (market for female vendors) every Sunday. Most of them sell clothes, though some also have shoes and electronic items on sale. Tulsi, who has been coming to the market since it was established in 2007, says that even though the market isn’t well publicised, the weekly trip is profitable for her. “Bikai achhi hai [sale is good],” she said. “I sell stuff worth Rs 1,000 and the travelling costs come up to Rs 150-200. So I can make nearly Rs 800 on a good day.”

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The market is part of an initiative by the Delhi wing of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a trade union that organises female workers in the informal sector. SEWA’s aim, according to the organisation’s director Sanjay Kumar, is to help set up 10 such mahila bazaars across Delhi by the end of 2017. The motive behind the project is to establish safe spaces for female street vendors, who face a multitude of problems owing to the nature of their work.

“Women vendors told us that ‘we don’t feel safe in markets where men are also selling their products’,” Kumar said, speaking to Newslaundry. “There is sexual harassment, intimidation and unnecessary comments that are passed.”

In a study conducted across eight Indian cities (excluding Delhi) commissioned by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), a common feature that emerged was the harassment and threats directed towards female street vendors across the country. Reena, a former street vendor who is now a SEWA volunteer, also stated that for female street vendors, safety is one of the foremost concerns. “There are markets that are set up early in the morning and go on till late at night. In such places, nobody talks about the protection of women who come to the market,” she said. Specifically, Reena points out that women are subjected to harassment by police and contractors who demand bribes. Furthermore, she alleges that it is common to encounter people in markets who indulge in “gundagardi” [hooliganism], which makes the environment inhospitable for women.

Kumar believes that in the mahila bazaar, the problem of harassment by the administration is eliminated. “There is no harassment by police and municipal authorities,” he said. “But usually, if you go to any market or any vendor in the city, they will say that we need to pay bribes to police and municipal authorities. That’s just the regular thing.”

Rekha, another vendor at the mahila bazaar, corroborates Kumar’s claim. While she admitted that their market wasn’t perfect – it could do with a little more publicity, she said – but was nevertheless glad that she wasn’t being constantly pestered by the police. “We don’t face any problem from the police,” she said. “We don’t have to worry if we will get space to set up our shop. This is our market and we’re happy here.”

With the Tagore Road market serving as the pilot programme, Kumar believes the model can be replicated at other locations in Delhi. “To begin with, we have chosen four areas – two in east Delhi, one in west and one in north. In these areas, we are mobilising women to see whether they are interested in being a part of the mahila bazaar,” Kumar explained. SEWA is approaching women in these areas to fill application forms, which Kumar said will form the basis of their petition to municipal authorities to set up more mahila bazaars.

The idea of an exclusive market for female street vendors has its appeal, even among those unfamiliar with the concept. Sunita, a street vendor in Delhi’s Connaught Place, said that even though she didn’t want to vacate her spot (where she’s been selling hand crafted bags for 35 years), she would encourage her daughter to sell at a mahila bazaar, if one was set up. “My daughter has a disabled husband so she needs to earn,” she said. “If there is such a bazaar, I could send her there and not worry too much.”

With SEWA running in “campaign mode” – in Kumar’s words – to achieve their target of 10 markets by the end of next year, hopefully thousands of female street vendors will soon be able to carry on their business with far greater safety and dignity.

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