Rights, Restrictions, and the Rule of Law: COVID-19 and Women Street Vendors

This report examines the intersection of public health policy and the rights of street vendors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the impact on women vendors in India's urban economy. Despite constituting nearly two percent of India's urban population and playing a crucial role in the accessibility of goods, street vendors have historically operated within an informal economy, often facing exploitation and harassment by local authorities. The Street Vendors Act of 2014 aimed to address these challenges through a rights-based approach, yet its implementation has been lackluster, leaving vendors, particularly women, vulnerable to continued hardships and gender-based violence. The advent of COVID-19 and subsequent public health measures have exacerbated these vulnerabilities, with the executive's stringent restrictions leading to increased economic and social distress among vendors. This policy brief critically assesses the government's regulatory response to street vending during the pandemic, evaluates the excesses of these measures and their detrimental effects on vendors, and considers international best practices that could inform a balanced approach to safeguarding health, economic interests, and human rights in times of crisis.