Negotiating work risks and challenges of street vending among female youths in southwest Nigeria.

The need to negotiate the economic hurdles in the country coupled with the culture of peddling wares have pushed young female traders into street trade. This study investigated the experiences of these youngsters in terms of risks and abuse while performing their trading activities. This study adopted the use of quantitative and qualitative methods to elicit data from the respondents. For the quantitative, a total of 120 copies of questionnaires were distributed to the respondents selected through a 2 stage sampling techniques in Ado Ekiti metropolis, southwest Nigeria. For the qualitative, 6 in depth interviews coupled with 4 key informants interviews were used to complement the quantitative data. Finding revealed that a majority (76.7 percent) of the street traders were teenagers and they were in the trade based on the instruction of their parent/guardians. Further, the majority (90.0 percent) of the respondents were aware of the risks involved in the trade. Verbal and physical abuse constitute a part of their experiences in the trade and verbal abuse was often used to force them into sexual intercourse. As regards how they handled the risks and abuse, majority discussed with friends on the trade while on the long run they adjust by keeping quiet regarding their experiences while on the trade. However, IDI revealed that quite a number of them have adjusted to the experiences and may not be willing to share their experiences if not under pressure. Averting the risks associated with street trade might be challenging considering the attitude of the victims and their significant others regarding how they handle these risks and abuse.