Despite complaints from buyers regarding higher offer levels, the price of goods continue to increase day by day. The women who work as street vendors and consumers are directly bearing the pinch.

Almost all women, including those engaged in white collar jobs living in big households will be vulnerable despite earning wages; because their earnings could not enable them afford the daily commodities in the market for the survival of their families Musoolula Bantabaa (women’s forum) put it.

Some women at the Serrekunda Market have raised concern over the skyrocketing prices of commodities, thus making life difficult for the poor low income earners.
“Women are the worst affected when food prices go up. We have to bear additional burdens for our families, we end up making huge sacrifices, such as being the last to eat in a family or at tomes faced with inadequate food at home due to high prices of food stuffs at the market”, Kaddy Sabally, a vendor at Latrikunda market told Musoolula Bantabaa.
easing concerned about the rise in the cost of living. She said the cost of one meal with rice has almost doubled in some places.
“I spent most of my profit gained from my business on my family as my contribution to the fish money that my husband gives me. Things are becoming worse day by day. Everything is expensive, especially oil and onion, which are the main ingredients we use in our cooking”, she added.
A vendor who spoke to Musolula Bantaba on condition of anonymity said food prices in the market have become a great concern for her and most Gambian women. She lamented that the price of daily commodities are increasing at an alarm rate and has threatened both women vendors and consumers alike.
“Selling at high prices is difficult in all situations, yet, as unpleasant as it can be, it is often necessary so as to realize profit. The customers are coming from with different perspectives, despite the situation. In times like this, it is imperative for the salesperson to understand regardless of how the market or economy is faring. The sales of commodities depend on the demand. Even vendors who are accused of hoarding prices, need some other expensive good to buy”, another vendor intervened.
For Mba Jammeh, also a vendor, said, a customer does not reject a price on the basis of increment, unless the deal can be saved by offering some kind of discount. “If they approach the market with this strategy, they are always at the mercy of failure, because a customer will never pay more than a salesperson tells them to”.
“Selling a price in a booming market requires diligence and patience to keep the discussion focused on the benefits that the customer is looking for, from both the product and from you. It is not our fault that the prices are high”, another vendor said.
Mariama Jallow, a consumer, told Musoolula Bantaba that with increasing prices of rice, oil and other food stuffs, men should consider adjusting the fish money they give to their wives. “The price of sugar is the worst now and 95 percent of households use sugar in preparing breakfast and sometimes evening meals”, she said.