Sub-national governance and the plight of women working in public spaces

Across the world and in Africa, women make up the majority of workers in the informal economy – mostly because of limited education, high levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty. Despite their significant contribution to socio-economic development, they are not always acknowledged as workers with rights. Instead, the unregulated nature of the informal economy results in limited social protections and few incentives offered by governments. A large proportion of women active in the informal economy perform income-earning activities in public spaces such as selling goods in market places, taxi ranks and sidewalks.

It is a general observation that local governments do not always thoroughly consider the variety of challenges faced by women working in public spaces. On the one hand, they often find themselves striking a balance between survival and family responsibilities, and on the other hand, they are confronted with challenges due to the failure of local governments to provide basic services, such as ablution and storage facilities, and the maintenance of infrastructure. Moreover, women public space workers are hardly consulted in the policy and law-making process impacting them, resulting in further marginalisation. Indeed, it is often the reality that women public space workers are exposed to criminalisation, the confiscation of goods, as well as harsh and abusive law enforcement with harassment and extortion being commonplace.

In November 2024, the Dullah Omar Institute, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Africa Office and the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists launched a series of reports and a videographic, at a webinar, as part of a project on ‘Sub-national governance and the plight of women working in public spaces – challenges and principles to improve policy and law-making’:

Date:
2 December, 2024

Type of Update:
Updates from our Partners
Campaign Activities
Recent Events

Themes:
Cost of Exclusion
Courts Systems
Fees and Fines
Human Rights
Petty Offences
Policing
Use of Public Spaces

Countries:
Ghana
Kenya
South Africa

Regions:
Africa

Campaign Partners:
Africa Criminal Justice Reform
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
International Commission of Jurists – Kenyan Section

The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.

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