არაფორმალური ეკონომიკის გენდერული ასპექტები: თბილისში მცხოვრები გარემოვაჭრე ქალების მაგალითზე

Trading and informal economic activities are an important source of income for population
with low social and economic potential in Georgia. It is noteworthy that self-employed people
are mainly socially vulnerable layers or groups and most of them are women. In this context,
women are the main, vulnerable individuals whose experience and role are particularly
important in studying this issue. Consequently, research was conducted to study "Gender
Aspects of Informal Economy: Example of women street traders living in Tbilisi". As a research
method was chosen Qualitative Research method, in particular, Oral Histories. The sample
point included 16 respondents. Their age was divided in three categories (30-45, 45-60 60 and
above), accordingly, at least 2 respondents were interviewed in each category in different
locations. Research aimed to study the condition of women traders living in Tbilisi at work
places. According to this target, three main tasks of the study were formed: 1) Study motivation
and goals of women street traders (why they started trading, their life history, experience, etc.);
2) Study problems and needs of women traders (time distribution, domestic labor and work,
problems at workplace and so on); 3) Observing on their daily work routine (non-participant,
overt Observation). Research showed that there is no personal happiness for the respondents,
their life is a permanent process of survival where they do not remember themselves, so all
their important moments are connected with their lovely ones, family happiness and providing
them with their primary needs. As for domestic labor, for women traders’ main motivator is
survival and delivering food in their families, so their domestic work is even less visible and
more gender-segregated. For most of the respondents outdoor trading was not a choice, they
didn't have any alternatives and the social reality was largely decided instead of them. The
goods for selling of majority of respondents do not go beyond 40-50 GEL and often much less.
Accordingly, profit, which is traded by women outdoor traders, is about 10 GEL. Against this
background, the state and political elites do not try to solve the existing problems, on the
contrary, they are continuously expelling street vendors from public spaces. The police are
always ready to offend the outdoor traders, to damage the stalls and simply "swap" them.