Abstract:
A heavy burden of lack of employment, poor social services, and bureaucratic hassles
drives many producers into the informal sector. This situation is a consequence of either
the ignorance or the negligence, of the state authorities. Moshi municipality is among the
towns in Tanzania where “marching trade” is practiced. This is an exceptional case where
through observation women are highly involved in marching trade. This study was
designed to determine factors contributed to women involvement in marching trade in
Moshi municipality. The study was conducted in three purposively selected wards
namely, (Kiboriloni, Bondeni and Mawenzi). Random selection and snowball techniques
were used to collect data. Structured questionnaire was employed to a sample of 84
women engaged in marching trade. Cross-sectional design was used to obtain data and
Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze data; where
frequencies, percentages and cross tabulations were developed to determine relationships
between variables. The results revealed that marching traders were women aged 19 to
above 54 years, generally of low education level, and low income. Furthermore, the study
discovered that much income accrued from “marching trade” was used for subsistence
needs, and expanding activities or diversify projects. Marching trade contributed to
income stability as well as reduced households’ poverty. It was recommended that
Women Marching Traders be offered knowledge and credit so that they improve their
skills and stabilize their businesses, as viable traders instead of walking too much in
streets. Finally, participatory bylaws enforcements should be used to ensure security of
traders and their merchandize.
