Workers in the informal sector are more likely to get HIV/AIDS infection than their counterparts in the formal sector in Uganda.

product sellers at a Ugandan market

According to a bulletin of Platform for Labor Action on Social Security, this is so because the informal sector is associated with high levels of poverty and gender inequality which aspects precipitate HIV transmission.

It says for instance women’s impoverishment and gender inequality has forced a number of women in the informal sector to remain dependent upon men for economic security.

The bulletin says such dependence limits the women’s control over protection measures against HIV/AIDS at it puts them in harder position to avoid potentially high risk relationships that expose them to potential HIV infection.

The bulletin in addition reveals that women are limited by lack of education since 67% of the women in the informal sector are illiterate and remain in the survival level as their enterprises that would have been an alternative to their financial predicament generate little income and have no potential for growth.

This is quite a worrying statistic in a country where statistics according to the Household Survey 2002/2003 that over 35% of households operate informal non- crop enterprises.

Informal sector workers in Uganda also operate in relatively harsh social security environment in Uganda as workers from this sector are excluded from protection of labor legislation and are often unable to access formal social protection. Over 50% of informal sector workers are market and street vendors.

By Tiberindwa Zakaria, Ultimate Media