Urban Informal Sector: How much Women are Struggling for Family Survival

Abstract: The paper analyzed the contribution of informally employed women (for the age group of 16-60 years) in their household budget. The urban informal sector absorbs the women workers largely. What are the determinants of their contribution in their household budgets to make survival of the families is the core of the study. Applying OLS model on 937 observations it is found that women as head of household, women’s education, and ownership of assets by woman have positive effect on contribution. The burden of the large family size, household poverty and loan availed by the household is shared by the informally employed women, as these variables positively affect their contribution. Age of the woman has a non-linear effect on woman’s contribution. First the contribution increases and then decreases by increase in age of the woman. Married women and women living in nuclear families contribute more to household budget. The household per capita income and number of children (5-15 years) in the household have shown negative effect on contribution of women in household budget. The household’s economic vulnerability due to unemployment of husband and lower productivity caused by lower education of husband is also largely shared by the urban informally employed women, i.e. they struggle more for family survival. However, number of adult males in the household decreases the volume of contribution of woman and burden on woman is relaxed.