The Narratives of Vending Women Working in Tehran Subway amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

After twenty years of metro development, the number of female vendors in Tehran's subway has increased dramatically. As regards the informal economy in low- and middle-income countries, women were more likely to work in the high-risk sector during the COVID-19 crisis. The focus of this article is on vending women with the primary question: "What is the narrative described by female subway vendors about working during the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues?" The research was carried out using thematic analysis. The research population consisted of female vendors in Tehran's subway during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly its earlier waves (2020). The data were saturated after conducting 21 interviews with women. On-site, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were utilized to collect data.The most important themes of this article are sexual harassment and refuge in the subway, women's fragile and vulnerable livelihoods, other people's contemptuous gazes, constant arguments with officers, the benefits of working in the subway, and the double challenges of vending women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's findings indicate that COVID-19 exacerbated poverty and vulnerability, resulting in further job and mental insecurity of women with informal occupations in the subway.