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Where you trade in the market has a big
impact on how successful your business is. This is even more
important in the really big markets. Two weeks ago, several of the
women vegetable traders in Ilala market were shifted from their spots
to a new location on the outskirts of the market. They had been
petitioning the market committee to place all vegetable sellers
closer to the other food vendors so that customers would have easier
access.
This move was not what they had in
mind.
The new location of the sellers was
muddy with pools of standing water (even though it hasn't rained in
days). Stalls are located along the edge of drainage ditches that
haven't been cleaned in ages. We watched as one woman lost some of
her pumpkins when they rolled down into the dirty ditches.
Some women have tried to move to one of
the side-streets, but they're paying double taxes as the street
committee and the market committee disagree about whose territory
this is.
So what happened? Reports from the
women say that they were moved by the market committee after a group of
tomato vendors from another market bribed the committee and officials
to take their place.
This sort of corruption does not make
the news, but it does have a major impact on women's lives. This is why
working with market women isn't just about economic empowerment and
business skills. That is not enough. Business plans and good accounting
are great, but if your business can be uprooted at any time you can't
get ahead. Knowing your rights, knowing where to go and how to demand
accountability from the very people you elected to be in charge, is
just as important.
And these women are fighting back.
They've mobilized and begun an organized response working from the
market committee up to the municipal government. Its probably going
to be a battle - no one wants to claim responsibility or even
knowledge of what happened. But then, knowing your rights doesn't
mean you automatically win. Its about having good tools and the confidence to be able to fight. And the 20 women who are showing up
in the councillors' offices know the system, they know their rights
and are there to get answers. I say more power to them.
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