Street Trading and Social Identity Among Female Traders in Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State

Street trading constitutes a critical livelihood strategy for millions of Nigerian women operating in the informal economy, yet the social identities constructed through this occupation remain underexplored in Nigerian sociological literature. This study examines how female traders in Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State, construct and negotiate social identity through their occupational practice. A qualitative design was adopted, employing participant observation over eight weeks and twenty semi-structured interviews with female traders representing diverse commodity categories. The symbolic interactionist framework was employed for data interpretation. Findings reveal that trader identity is multidimensional, encompassing economic agency, community membership within commodity-based trade associations, and cultural performance of Igbo feminine virtues of resilience and industry. Traders actively distinguished between stigmatized and respectable forms of market work, with the hierarchical structure of market associations providing pathways to social recognition. Market association membership was identified as a central site of social capital accumulation, providing access to credit, dispute resolution, and mutual support that substituted for formal social protection. Younger traders reported tension between market identity and aspirations for formal employment, reflecting broader intergenerational shifts in occupational prestige norms. The physical dangers of street trading, including harassment by local government task forces, reinforced solidarity among traders and contributed to collective identity formation. Recommendations include formalization of trader associations as recognized social organizations and design of social protection programs sensitive to informal economy identity structures. Keywords: street trading, social identity, female traders, Onitsha, informal economy.