Liberalized market conditions and effects of informal cross border trade on women traders’ wellbeing at Sirari border, Tarime district, Tanzania
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Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture.
Abstract
The main purpose of the study was to assess whether the liberalized market conditions (in
the East African Community (EAC) known as Custom Union (CU) protocols) have helped
women informal cross border traders (WICBTs) to improve their wellbeing or not. The
specific objectives were to: assess the socio-economic characteristics of women who were
involved in ICBT, assess women traders’ awareness on liberalized market conditions,
examine the push factors for women involvement in ICBT, identify challenges faced by
WICBTs and lastly to investigate on the effects of ICBT on women traders’ income. A
snowball sampling procedure was employed to obtain 100 respondents at Sirari border.
Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
Observation and Key informant interviews. Data were analysed through quantitative
approaches using SSPS.
The major findings from the study show that most of the
WICBTs were not aware of liberalized market conditions (EAC Custom Union protocols).
Consequently, most of them were unable to maximize their profit from informal cross
border trade. The increase of goods penetration from different East African countries by
big traders of different value and price limited women’s informal businesses running.
Although women traders, to some extent, accessed trading resources needed for ICBT,
they hardly controlled the same resources due to lack of financial resources. The findings
show that many women traders are in dilemma to choose a safer category between the
formal and informal cross border because the two categories face almost the same
challenges.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Market conditions, Cross border, Women traders, Sirari border, Tarime district