Street vendors in Lima in the time of COVID‐19: Guilty or oppressed?

Abstract

Key Messages For many informal workers—including street vendors—staying at home and stopping working during the pandemic cannot be considered feasible options for many reasons. Analyzing informal street vending activities as a homogeneous phenomenon risks provoking misleading interpretations of street vendors solely as victims or as irresponsible people. Recognizing there is heterogeneity in street vending helps to illuminate the different social representations, identities, and strategies used by street vendors.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the livelihood of a vulnerable population: Evidence from women street vendors in urban Vietnam

“…Table 2 also unveils the noteworthy finding that many vendors (37.4 %) continued to conduct their business. Regardless of the high risk of being caught and fined, they did not (frequently) follow the social distancing measures since no work meant hunger or deprivation ( Coletto et al, 2021 ; Dzawanda et al, 2021 ; Majithia, 2020 ; Romero-Michel et al, 2021 ; Thanh et al, 2021 ). Due to their informality, they used various informal and often subtle tactics to maintain their vending activities and resist the local authorities ( Romero-Michel et al, 2021 ; Thai et al, 2021 ; Turner et al, 2021 ).…”

“…During a crisis, street vendors could adopt various coping strategies to sustain their businesses, such as changing their products, services, or sales areas to reach new markets, or adopting modern sales methods and home delivery ( Boonjubun, 2017 ; Coletto et al, 2021 ; Kiaka et al, 2021 ; Maneepong & Walsh, 2013 ; Nasution et al, 2021 ). In addition, the nature of their informality has made some vendors less likely to (frequently) follow social distancing measures, but they have used informal and often subtle tactics to navigate the surveillance of the local authorities and resist them in order to continue their businesses ( Romero-Michel et al, 2021 ; Sisay et al, 2021 ; Thanh et al, 2021 ; Turner et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Previous studies have examined how COVID-19 social distancing hit the livelihoods of street vendors and how they sustained their businesses and ensured their essential consumption (e.g., housing and food) ( Coletto et al, 2021 ; Guha et al, 2021 ; SEWA-Bharat, 2020 ; Thai et al, 2021 ; Toriro & Chirisa, 2021 ; Turner et al, 2021 ). However, no studies to date have provided a comprehensive picture of women street vendors during this challenging period.…”

The vulnerability of a centralized food system: An opportunity to improve food security in times of COVID-19-Peru perspective

“…When the large markets (such as La Parada) closed in Lima, a large number of street vendors appeared and were able to supply food to the population of each locality. Even with their own funds, the vendors bought biosafety equipment to sell in the early hours of the morning, thus reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection (Coletto et al, 2021). However, informal vendors in Peru, who represent more than 50% of the population, have no benefits and are vulnerable to critical situations, especially due to the lack of health insurance (Vázquez-Rowe and Gandolfi, 2020).…”

Introduction to the special section: When migrants produce the city: Everyday negotiations of urban space / Introduction de la section spéciale : Quand les migrants produisent la ville : Négociations quotidiennes de l'espace urbain

“…Diego Coletto, Lema Jaber, and Linus Vanhellemont (2021) examine rights to the city in terms of the unprecedented lockdown situations brought about by the COVID‐19 pandemic. By studying two markets in Lima (Peru), they reveal the reactivity and adaptability to this substantial change by street vendors, some of whom are migrants from rural provinces.…”