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The Impact of COVID 19 on the Women Vendors
of Ima Market, Manipur
Taibangnganbi RK
1
and Sanjaykumar P. Phad
2
Abstract
The Ima Market in Manipur is an all-women market which is also regarded as the
largest in Asia. Men are not permitted to sell, do business or own a store of their own,
but they can buy anything they wish, and they are often allowed to work as labourers
for transporting heavy goods. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in Wuhan,
Hubei Province, China, and spread around the world, causing a global pandemic.
Lockdowns were enforced in many parts of the world, and their effects were felt by
everyone, including the women vendors of Ima Market. They also play an important
part in the state's economy. However, this specific market was closed for ten months.
As a result, it is vital to investigate the impact of its closure due to the lockdown
including their socioeconomic situation and the resulting financial instability.
The study delves into the difficulties faced by the women sellers of Ima market during
the lockdown. It also analyses the impact of their income drop; the hardships faced by
their families along with the alternative ways they opted for in order to earn their
livelihood. In addition to this, the paper also studies the socio-economic impact of the
lockdown including the availability of food during the closure of the market.
Introduction
Manipur's Ima Keithel is one-of-a-kind. "Ima" means "mother," and "Keithel" means
"marketplace" therefore translating it to "Mother's Market". It is, as the name implies,
an inimitable market managed entirely by women. Situated right at the heart of Imphal
city, it also symbolises women’s empowerment and financial independence. In the early
days, when the males were forced to leave their homes for work, the obligation of
providing for the family rested on the women, sparking an economic fervour within
them. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), as we all know, is an infectious disease
in which the virus spreads mostly by droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when
an afflicted person coughs or sneezes. Many governments throughout the world
declared lockdowns and restrictions in attempt to slow the spread of the virus, and India
did the same on March 24, 2020. The pandemic's impact and the subsequent lockdown
1
M.A. Economics, Department of Economics, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai,
taibangnganbirk@gmail.com
2
Dr. Sanjaykumar P. Phad, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, SNDT Women’s
University, Mumbai, sanjayphad@gmail.com
JGE
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were felt by all throughout the world, but these women traders felt it harder. While the
sale of basic commodities was permitted, and prohibitions on markets selling such
products were relaxed, the Ima Market, Manipur's largest and busiest market, was
compelled to remain closed for a period of ten months. Since the place was not only
meant for selling and buying goods but also a platform to exchange the political and
economic views of the women vendors, the closure of this marketplace affected the
women vendors both socially and economically. But the economic impact was far larger
compared to the social impact. There was extreme drop in their incomes, thus leading
to hunger and more sufferings. While many studies were conducted with respect to the
formal sectors, there was less information about the impact of COVID-19 on the
informal workers. The study will explore the hardships underwent by the women
vendors of Ima market whose livelihood depends on their daily wages. It will also
present the various suggestions and opinions from their side as to ease their sufferings.
Objectives
● To study the impact of COVID-19 on the women vendors of Ima Market.
● To examine the socio-economic status of the women vendors of Ima Market.
● To analyse the challenges underwent by the women vendors of Ima Market
during the lockdown.
Significance of the Study
The study focuses on analysing the impact of the lockdown experienced by the women
vendors of the Ima market as a result of the market's closure for a period of 10 months.
It also delves into the difficulties and challenges they encountered in feeding their
families, since many of these vendors were the sole breadwinners for their households.
It also illustrates how, regardless of their backgrounds, many women rely on this market
for a living. Some of the study's mentioned features are important for future studies to
comprehend the socioeconomic function of the women sellers in this market, their social
status, the impact of the pandemic along with the ways in which they cope up during
the closure of the market.
Review of Literature
Tripti Panwar in her research paper titled “Women Market, Social Economic Impact,
Case study on Ema Keithel (Women Market) Manipur India” studies the role of women
in society as well as the financial support of Ima Keithel's female merchants. The study
demonstrated how women are an integral component of a country's social economy and
growth. It was discovered that the majority of the female merchants are between the
ages of 30 and 60. Many come from low-income households and are deeply in debt as
a result of low-profit margins and a lack of suitable savings accounts, this study focused
more on the economic position rather than the social and political implications of these
women sellers in society.
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Samarpreet Kaur (2020) in her article “What Does COVID-19 Mean for The Livelihood
of Women Street Vendors?” emphasizes the economic hardships encountered by women
street sellers, as well as the difficulty they face in getting healthcare, food, water, and
sanitation during the epidemic, as well as the gender-based abuse. It goes on to say that
the effects are exacerbated in underprivileged and oppressed communities, having a
negative long-term impact on women's social and economic equality and contributing
to their vulnerability. The article concluded that street vendors are an essential element
of the economy and should be given special attention, particularly women street
vendors, who are suffering a severe problem.
Shiney Chakraborty (2020) in her report titled “Impact of COVID 19 National
Lockdown on Women Informal Workers in Delhi” addresses the impact of COVID-19
on women's paid and unpaid employment along with the obstacles they encounter as
well as their methods in dealing with the pandemic and lockdown. Due to the drastic
drop in revenue, more than half of the women street sellers sought loans from
moneylenders. According to the survey, the inability to leave the house due to the
lockdown was the leading cause of the substantial revenue reduction. The study
recommends that the government should implement a minimum employment guarantee
scheme (s) for informal workers, as well as specific reservations for women, a PDS to
increase the quantity of food distributed and set up additional distribution centres, and
direct cash transfers for the most vulnerable families.
Angana Chakrabarti, Yimkumla Longkumer (2020) in their article “Caught between
Covid & hunger, women at Imphal ‘mother’s market’ are struggling to survive”
emphasized the problems suffered by the women vendors of Ima Market as a result of
the imposed lockdown, as well as their expectations from the government to provide
some type of assistance to alleviate their sufferings to some level. The article highlights
the diverse perspectives voiced by some Ima Market women traders discussing their
hardships as a result of the lockdown. It further claims that some of the sellers have
turned to other sources of income and have even created tiny shops in other locations to
supplement their income.
In an article by Khabar Lahariya (2020) published on Breakthrough titled “COVID-19
Spells Doom for an Already Shrinking Rural Female Workforce” describes how COVID
19 and subsequent lockdowns have impacted the livelihoods of India's rural women the
most, followed by income loss and instability. The article emphasizes the broad loss of
jobs throughout the country, and how it is exacerbated for women in rural regions, who
were already at a disadvantage prior to the pandemic. They have grown very vulnerable
as a result of the imposed lockdown, owing to their increased reliance on spouses and
relatives.
Research Methodology
The study employs a combination of descriptive and quantitative methods. A substantial
portion of the research is descriptive of nature since it involves a comprehensive
analysis of the women sellers' hardships, as well as the alternative tactics they opted for
survival. Quantitative analytic methods were also employed to learn about the
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pandemic's consequences. The universe of the study was 30 women vendors of Ima
market whose major source of income comes from this market. The method of the
structured questionnaire was implied under the primary data collection method. Various
academic papers, newspaper articles, journals and documents have also been read in
order to gain more knowledge and information about the pandemic and its impact. Tools
such as t-test and Chi square test were used for data analysis.
Results and Discussions
1. Hypothesis 1 – t-test
Ho: Women vendors do not face severe economic crisis due to the pandemic of COVID-
19.
H1: Women vendors face severe economic crisis due to the pandemic of COVID-19.
For testing this, we took into consideration the daily incomes of the vendors for three
different periods and then divided it into two cases. In the first case, we draw a
comparison between the average daily incomes of the vendors before the pandemic and
during the lockdown. In the second case, we compare the average daily incomes of the
vendors before the pandemic and during the relaxation. Paired t-test for difference of
mean is applied in both the cases.
Ist case: Before the pandemic and during the lockdown
Table 1: t-test result of the hypothesis formulated between the average incomes of
the vendors before the pandemic and during the lockdown
Period
N
𝑑
SD
df
t-cal
t-crit
p-value
Decisio
n
Before
COVID-19
30
1250
1345.5
29
5.088
2.05
<0.0000
1
Ho is
rejected
During
lockdown
30
Source: Primary data
In the above table, the calculated value of t (=5.088) is greater than the critical value of
t (=2.05). The p-value (<0.00001) is less than 0.05. Thus, Ho is rejected and H1 is
accepted at a 5% level of significance and 29 degrees of freedom. Hence, H1: “Women
vendors face severe economic crisis due to the pandemic of COVID-19” is accepted.
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IInd case: Before the pandemic and during the relaxation of lockdown
Table 2: t-test result of the hypothesis formulated between the average incomes of
the vendors before the pandemic and during the relaxation of lockdown
Period
n
𝑑
SD
df
t-cal
t-crit
p-value
Decisio
n
Before
COVID-19
30
75
1165.50
6
29
0.3524
2.05
0.7271
Ho is
accepte
d
During
relaxation
30
Source: Primary data
In the above table, the calculated value of t (=0.3524) is less than the critical value of t
(=2.05). The p-value (=0.7271) is greater than 0.05. Thus, H1 is rejected and Ho is
accepted at 5% level of significance and 29 degrees of freedom. Hence, Ho: “Women
vendors do not face severe economic crisis due to the pandemic of COVID-19” is
accepted.
In the first case, because the market was closed during the shutdown, there were no
earnings. Thus, when comparing between the period of lockdown and that prior to the
pandemic, it is reasonable to state that the women vendors had a serious economic crisis
as a result of the pandemic, which was mostly due to the market's closure during the
lockdown period.
In the second case, several vendors earned more money after the lockdown was lifted
than they had before the pandemic. This was mostly due to the surge in seasonal demand
for their items around the time of the market's reopening after a lengthy period of
closure. Thus, comparing before the pandemic and during the relaxation, it can be
concluded that the women vendors do not face severe economic crisis.
2. Hypothesis 2 – Percentage Analysis
Ho: There are no alternative means to earn livelihood during the closure of Ima
Market.
H1: There are alternative means to earn livelihood during the closure of Ima Market.
For testing this hypothesis, the availability of alternate source of income to the vendors
for two different periods i.e. during the lockdown and during the relaxation is taken into
account.
As shown in the figure 1 below, 63.3% of the vendors did not have any alternative source
of income during the lockdown while the remaining 36.7% had other sources of earning
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money. During the relaxation of lockdown, 56.7% did not have any alternate ways to earn
money while the other 43.3% had alternative sources of income.
Source: Primary data
Since the percentage of vendors with no alternate source of income during the lockdown
is greater compared to the period of relaxation, it can be said that there were no alternate
means to earn during the closure of the market.
Hence, Ho: “There are no alternative means to earn livelihood during the closure
of Ima Market” is accepted.
Thus, there are no alternative means to earn livelihood for the women vendors during
the closure of Ima Market.
3. Hypothesis 3 – Chi square test
Ho: The families of the women vendors do not suffer from hunger during the closure
of the market.
H1: The families of the women vendors suffer from hunger during the closure of the
market.
For testing, this hypothesis, the experience of shortage of food by the vendors for two
different periods i.e. during the lockdown and during the relaxation is taken into
account.
Table 3: Chi square test result formulated between two different periods and
experience of shortage of food by the vendors
Period
Yes
No
df
χ2-cal
χ2-crit
p-value
Decision
During
lockdo
wn
11
19
1
7.95
3.84
0.004
Ho is
rejected
11, 36.7% 13, 43.3%
19,63.3% 17, 56.7%
Figure 1: Availability of alternate source of income
No
Yes
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During
relaxat
ion
2
28
Source: Primary data
In the above table, the calculated value of χ2 (=7.95) is greater than the critical value of
χ2 (=3.84). The p-value (=0.004) is less than 0.05. Thus, Ho is rejected and H1 is
accepted at 5% level of significance and 1 degree of freedom.
Hence, H1: “The families of the women vendors suffer from hunger during the
closure of the market” is accepted.
Thus, comparing with the relaxation period, the families of these vendors suffer from
hunger during the closure of the market.
Based on the hypotheses tested, it is evident that women vendors faced severe economic
crisis due to the pandemic. Also, there is no alternative means to earn income for them due
to the closure of the market. In addition to this, it is also seen that their families suffer from
some shortage of food during the lockdown compared to the period of relaxation.
Suggestions
● There should be proper implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
(PMMY) – SHISHU because many vendors are still left out without getting the
loans provided under this scheme.
● The working and administration of the Municipality office should be improved so
that the vendors will face less trouble while applying for the loan.
● The Public Distribution System should be universalized with a larger amount of
food allocation to aid in the battle against hunger and dire poverty.
● As ration items are not enough for survival, other financial assistance should be
provided along with essential commodities at subsidised rates till normalcy
returns in the state.
● Municipality and other local government bodies should create a broader informal
economy assistance package thus covering all the women vendors despite being
license holders or not.
● The government should also try to bridge the communication gap between the
women vendors and the state government so that their voices and opinions reach
the ears of the policymakers.
Limitations of the study
● The sample size of 30 is not sufficient to represent the whole population of the
women vendors of the Ima market.
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● The study excludes the street vendors of Ima market who does not hold licenses but
are also suffering no less than the license holder vendors.
● The study only covered the lockdown phase of the 1st wave of COVID-19 and
excluded the lockdown period of the 2nd wave.
● Accuracy of the response cannot be guaranteed as there were no face to face
interviews.
● Additional opinions and views of the vendors could not be recorded as the questions
were structured and were submitted through google forms.
● Due to the use of the snowball sampling technique, many respondents were similar
in traits and there were no much variations in the sample.
● While collecting data, the highest income was restricted to Rs.6000.
Conclusion
The study's key objective was to look into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the
women traders in Ima Market in Manipur. The government's various unlock phases omitted
this market, and there had been no consideration of reopening it for almost a year. This
plainly demonstrates that the state's lockdown standards were not ubiquitous. Thus, a
dramatic economic crisis resulted in the lives of these vendors followed by enormous
hunger and misery. It puts to light the cries of their sufferings and hardships. For them, the
market is much more than just a place to trade. It serves as a safe refuge for them. They are
really supportive of one another. They motivate one another to be more productive,
independent, to depend on their own strengths, and to participate equally in decision-
making. Their voices are heard and their opinions are considered regardless of their
background or status. Thus, they feel empowered and safe. Considering all of these
elements, the impact of the pandemic on their mental health and social well-being should
not be overlooked when focusing solely on their economic sufferings and afflictions. During
the pre-pandemic period, missing a single day at the market was rare. However, with the
market's long-term closure, many people were depressed because they missed the vibrant
interactions and chats, they had with their fellow vendors. They were deprived of their self-
sufficiency and economic independence. This had a significant impact on their already frail
mental state.
The challenges faced by them are enormous while the policy options are limited. This
frequently leads to unresolved discussions about whether governments should prioritise
health or the economy, as well as tremendous pressure to relax lockdown laws in order to
encourage financial stability. Added collectively, our findings, along with those of other
studies, indicate an urgent need for a significant policy intervention.
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