Alamirew, Bamlaku (PhD)Tiiahun, Yalgallesh2018-09-282023-11-182018-09-282023-11-182012-07http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/12282Th is stlldy lras conducted in Merkato, Addis Ababa lI'ith th e oilll of a,sessin g the major cha ll enges al1ll pro.lpeC IS of women in the inf'orlllal bllsiness sector. Th e informal secto r 1}I'()1'ides lIlore than half of the emploYlllent opportllll ity in IIriJan areas of Ethi opia. The seC/o r plays an important role in absorbing s /II pllls labor and help women ge nerating income. Despite ouch contributions, th e inf'ormal ,ector is ,aid to face challenges specifically for women operators in th e developing world. So me of the major problems inclllde: la ck of wo rking capita l, poor working environment, lack of acce,s to credit and tr a iningj{lcilities. In fact, the challenges womenface in the informal ,ectors are not velY well studied in th e context of Addis Ababa. A case study approach was employed. Both prilllw y and secondary da ta were collec ted through questionnaire, interview and observat ion. A sample of 80 r espondents was taken Fom women informal operators in Merkato area. In addition, key informants were considered Fom Woreda Trade and Indllstry Office, and women 's Affair Office. The data were a nalyzed by using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings of th e study show that, pOOr workin g condition, shortage of working capital, lack of access to credit , lack of business skill/ training, sho rtage of raw materials, lack of inji-astru cture and service j{lcilities and police harassment are th e major challenges women face in th e study ar ea. In f act, findings suggest th at informal secto rs are serving as important safety nets for th e poor and marg inalized women who do not get e mployment opportunities in the for mal sector. Hen ce future interventions may consider as to how to transform informal business into legal ones so that women can get access to credit facilities (from financial institutions) and training (that can them impro ve th ei r business skills), In this re ga rd, es tablishing them into micro and small enterprises IVould play a great role in providing other necessary facilities sa as to change the living standard of informal operators, espec ially women.enWomen in the Informal BusinessThesis