Moving Towards Decent Work for Street Vendors in Tanzania

Street vending is an important employment opportunity for the millions of youth, women, anyone with very few resources and the least-skilled people in low-income countries. Its popularity is due to the ease of entry into the business as far as costs, legal eligibility, and level of education. Despite their importance to local economies, street vendors operate in challenging environments that limit the productivity, the decency, and the sustainability of this kind of work. Governments should play a central role in improving the quality of work in this sector, particularly in countries where it constitutes a large proportion of the nation’s work force, and provides goods and services to so many people.