The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Women market vendors, the backbone of Uganda’s food supply and local economies, are demanding urgent action to address unsafe working conditions, financial exclusion, and weak governance in markets across Arua City.
A new study by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network, conducted in nine markets, reveals widespread violence and neglect. The report found that 62 percent of women market vendors had experienced physical or psychological harassment, 17.8 percent faced sexually suggestive gestures, and 11.8 percent received sexually explicit comments. Yet only 9 percent of cases were reported, with many women fearing reprisals or expressing little trust in authorities.
Beyond harassment, most women work in hazardous conditions. Eighty-eight percent of vendors lack protective stalls, sanitation facilities are inadequate, and poor waste management creates constant health risks. Women with disabilities are largely excluded, with only Arua Main Market having basic accessibility structures.
Hala Alkarib, SIHA Network’s Regional Director, described the situation as unacceptable. “No woman should live in dread—whether walking the streets or simply working to support her family. Women vendors deserve social and economic protection, alongside access to justice,” she said.
The findings also highlight financial exclusion as a critical barrier. Many vendors rely on costly informal credit because public financing schemes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga are inaccessible, mired in bureaucratic barriers, or unsuited to the realities of market women’s lives.
The report calls on Arua City Council and its divisions to prioritize market safety and inclusivity by upgrading drainage, lighting, toilets, and stalls, creating reporting desks for survivors of violence, and guaranteeing women’s representation in governance. It urges national government ministries to enforce gender and labor laws in informal markets, expand access to healthcare and legal aid, and reform financing schemes to be more gender-responsive. The international community is called upon to invest in safe, inclusive infrastructure, support women’s cooperatives, expand fair credit, and fund independent monitoring of safety and financial disbursements.
For some women, vending has offered a path to resilience and leadership despite the risks. Hon. Gloria Teddy Yako, City Speaker of Arua, shared her journey: “As a woman market vendor, I have been able to feed my family, pay school fees, and even support one of my children to pursue a PhD. With support from SIHA, I trained in leadership and advocacy, and today I serve as City Speaker. Women market vendors are sustaining families and driving economies. With the right investment, we can also become leaders and decision-makers.”
The findings were presented during the Regional Learning Exchange in Kampala, organized by SIHA Network with support from World | Brot für die Welt. The event brought together over 50 participants from Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, including women vendors, policymakers, and civil society groups.
Uganda’s informal markets remain a lifeline for millions of households, yet for women who dominate these spaces, they are also sites of exploitation and exclusion. The message from Arua’s women vendors is clear: they are sustaining families and communities, but without urgent reforms, they remain unsafe and unheard.
