This study attempts to explore the livelihood of female street vendors, focusing on selected sitesrnof Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The main perspective of the study is grounded in sustainablernlivelihood frame work and third wave feminist perspective. The study draws on case studyrndesign with a mixed approach to data collection and analysis. Data collection is facilitated byrnquestioner, in-depth interview, key informant interview and observation that has been backed uprnby researchers own field notes. The study has mainly used methods mentioned above to obtainrndata from the participants of the study, female street vendors from chosen sites of the AddisrnAbaba city, namely Shiromeda, Sidist Kilo, Shola, Megenagna and Kotebe . Totally 143 femalernstreet vendors participated in the study; In addition, the researcher conducted interviews withrnofficials from the Addis Ababa Code Enforcement Office, Bureau of Women and Children Affairsrnand Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs. Data analysis reveals that street vending has been takenrnas a livelihood mechanism for female street vendors who were married and unmarried as well asrnyoung and old. In terms of the asset possession of the female street vendor, the study showed thatrnstreet vendors had not well developed assets. The study implies that the participants generatedrnincome from diverse forms of activities and face vulnerabilities in terms of health, legality,rnhousing and working conditions, access to food and important resources. The study has foundrnthat female street vendors who took part in the study employed different forms copingrnmechanisms to overcome vulnerabilities. Based on the findings of the study the researcherrnrecommends that Government Structures in Addis Ababa City Administration such as Bureau ofrnWomen and Children Affairs, Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs should pay the necessaryrnattention to the lives of women street vendors in bringing sustainable urban development.