Gendered barriers to accessing jobs in the formal sector: a study of women street vendors in Delhi, India

Occupational segregation by gender deserves particular attention because it excludes women from most livelihood options (Anker, 1997). This research presents a holistic picture of gendered occupational segregation that collectively studies life cycle concepts of transitions, trajectories, life events, and turning points, along with the life cycle parameters of age, education level and marital status to understand barriers women face in exercising their agency to access jobs in the formal sector. Analysis of 105 semi-structured interviews with vendors in Delhi highlights the role of patriarchal norms in public and private spheres in structuring women’s entry into street vending. Key issues to access jobs in the formal sector include the patriarchal norms, stigmatisation, and societal expectations that limit women’s access to education, their ability to work, and the type of work they engage in, thus creating segmentation in the labour market. This study concludes that the structural conditions lead to transitions, life events, and turning points in women’s lives, determining their access to employment in the formal or informal sector.