IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsoctx/v14y2024i8p155-d1458654.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Gendered Lens on Mediation and Market Governance: Experiences of Women Market Vendors in Papua New Guinea

Author

Listed:
  • Wilma Langa

    (Communication and Development Studies, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae 411, Papua New Guinea)

  • Jackie Kauli

    (Centre for the Arts and Social Transformation, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand)

  • Verena Thomas

    (School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia)

Abstract

The majority of market vendors at urban informal markets in Papua New Guinea are women. They face vulnerabilities related to safety, security and infrastructural support. They operate within male-dominated mediation structures where women’s contributions to mediation and market governance are often invisible. However, in this article, we demonstrate how women market vendors contribute to the social aspect of market governance, particularly addressing issues of law and order within Awagasi market. Through the efforts of women vendors in mediation and conflict management, safety in the market and normal operation of the informal market have improved. The study involved 18 women market vendors, as well as male market vendors, at Awagasi market. It used focus group discussions, interviews and creative mapping to examine the different roles of women market vendors regarding mediation and market governance at Awagasi market. The study revealed the different roles women play and their social innovations in keeping peace and order in the market. Recognising women’s agency in conflict management can support the promotion and strengthening of safe market spaces in urban environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilma Langa & Jackie Kauli & Verena Thomas, 2024. "A Gendered Lens on Mediation and Market Governance: Experiences of Women Market Vendors in Papua New Guinea," Societies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:155-:d:1458654
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/8/155/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/8/155/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julien Barbara & Kerryn Baker, 2020. "Addressing collective action problems in Melanesia: the Northern Islands Market Vendors’ Association in Vanuatu," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(8), pages 994-1004, November.
    2. Asenati Liki, 2009. "Travelling Daughters: Experiences of Melanesian-Samoan Women," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 52(4), pages 537-543, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:14:y:2024:i:8:p:155-:d:1458654. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.