Crise sécuritaire et transformation des places marchandes traditionnelles dans l’économie informelle en Haïti

The informal economy is an important subject in many developing countries, especially where women play an essential role. In Haiti, these women are called Madan Sara, referencing the migratory bird that consistently seeks food wherever it goes. Haitian Madan Sara women fulfil the crucial role of commercial links between producers and consumers, particularly the 30% of the population who live in Port-au-Prince. Given that this economy is not official, it is particularly vulnerable to security shocks. Recent crises in Haiti provide an opportunity to study how Madan Sara women organize to continue their activities. Our research hypothesis focuses on the reorganization of marketplaces to cope with the security crisis. We conducted empirical and documentary studies, as well as participatory observations to investigate the main changes made. Among these changes, we found the creation of a new shopping center, the use of technologies enabling online commerce, the development of new transnational markets, and an increase in the number of Madan Sara women at the Haitian-Dominican border. This diversification of spaces and transaction locations demonstrates the adaptive capacity of the informal economy and proposes a communication gateway between the state and key actors in informal commerce, while advocating for better representation of transnational actors in Haiti’s informal economy. We also recommend better regulation of cross-border commerce with the Dominican Republic.