Holding Up Life in the City’s Shadows — Stories of Women Street Vendors

城市的缝隙里，她们支撑着生活 —— 一份关于女性流动摊贩的观察

作者：李馨一 康起铭 

In the least visible corners of the city, a group of women carry baskets, push carts, and set up stalls in narrow alleys. They trade in the simplest goods—vegetables, fried snacks, household items—just to keep their families afloat. They are part of the city, yet often pushed to its margins. A recent investigation revealed not only their struggles and resilience, but also the layers of inequality hidden behind the bustle of street life.

在城市最不起眼的角落，有这样一群人：她们肩挑背扛，推着小车在巷口摆摊，用最普通的食物和日用品换来一家人的生计。她们是城市的参与者，却常常被推到城市的边缘。最近的一次调研，让我们看见了她们的辛劳、她们的脆弱，也看见了隐藏在烟火背后的不平等。

She on the Street: Glimpses of Women Vendors in the City

街头的她们：一份关于城市女性摊贩的观察

最近，我们参与了一项针对城市流动摊贩的调研。走进清晨的菜市场和傍晚的街角，我们看到的不仅是烟火气息，还有不平等的痕迹。

在近两百份问卷与访谈中，女性摊贩大约占到四成。她们多半推着手推车，或者背着沉重的篮子，卖的是最日常的食物和用品——油条、青菜、塑料盆。相比之下，男性摊贩更容易占据相对固定的位置，卖电器、修车、开锁。一个是随时准备逃走的身影，一个是能扎下脚跟的摊点。

一位中年摊贩阿姨告诉我们：“我每天凌晨四点出来，一直要到晚上八点。摊子不敢摆在大马路上，只能躲在小巷子里。被赶走也习惯了。” 她说这话的时候笑了笑，可眼神却很疲惫。

数据背后还有更多差异。男性摊贩最常遇到的是罚款，而女性摊贩则更常被“说教”，甚至被提醒“影响市容”。在我们的调研中，有超过一半的女性表示，她们至少被驱赶过一次到巷口或阴暗角落。而一些居民的评价也带着复杂：有人抱怨她们“不稳定”，有人却说“看着心疼，她们也是为了孩子”。

这一切让我感受到，女性摊贩在城市中承受着双重的不稳定：经济上的，和身份上的。她们既是家庭的支撑者，又是被推到边缘的劳动者。城市的光鲜面貌，常常以她们的隐身为代价。

或许，真正的文明，不是驱赶掉街头的摊贩，而是能容纳她们，并为她们留出一片体面的生存空间。

Recently, we took part in a small investigation of street vendors in the city. In the early morning markets and at the corners of busy streets in the evening, what we saw was not just the hustle of everyday life—but also the quiet traces of inequality.

Out of nearly 200 surveys and interviews, women made up about 40% of the vendors. They usually carried baskets or pushed carts, selling the simplest items—fried dough, vegetables, plastic basins. Men, in contrast, more often occupied semi-fixed stalls, dealing in electronics, bike repairs, or locksmith services. One group always ready to run, the other able to stand their ground.

A middle-aged woman told us: “I leave home at 4 a.m. and work until 8 p.m. I can’t put my stall on the main street, so I hide in an alley. Being chased away—it’s normal now.” She said it with a smile, but her eyes betrayed exhaustion.

The numbers echo the stories. Male vendors mostly reported fines, while women spoke of being “lectured” or told they were “hurting the city’s image.” More than half of the women we interviewed said they had been pushed into back alleys at least once. Community attitudes were mixed: some complained of “instability,” while others admitted, “It’s heartbreaking—they’re just trying to raise their kids.”

What struck us most was the double precarity women face: economic insecurity and social invisibility. They are breadwinners for their families, yet pushed to the margins of the city. The polished image of urban life often comes at the cost of their presence being erased.

Perhaps true civility in a city is not measured by how many street vendors are removed, but by whether it can make space for them—and allow them a dignified place to stand.