KARACHI:Home-based women workers staged a protest demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Sunday, demanding end to workplace harassment, and same wages for same work.
Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) staged a big protest demo in front of the KPC in connection with the international day against women violence, which was attended by a large number of home-based women workers, as well as, women workers related to different industries. It was led by HBWWF central general secretary Zahra Akbar Khan.
On the occasion, the speakers said the number of women workers in Pakistan has been rising for last many years. According to a report International Labor Organization (ILO), the number of women workers in garment sector alone has risen by 33prcent. However, sadly the women workers are also facing violence and discriminatory attitude, which is affecting their social and economic life. In Pakistan, the gender-based violence is a reality, and society overall justifies it on the basis of traditions, culture, beliefs and morality.
They said the constitution of Pakistan gives equality to citizens and abolishes gender-based discrimination in its articles 4, 8, 25, 27 and 32. The silence of the government and society over violence and discriminatory treatment to women, which was violation of human rights, is a serious matter.
Occurrence of these incidents is increasing rapidly and no practical steps are seen to end this menace. Though the national assembly had passed a Bill against harassment of women at workplace in 2010 but its practical implementation is yet to be seen. Today, maltreatment of women at workplaces is still in vague and not only this but also the women workers are given less wages as compared to male workers. Mostly women workers work under contractor system and hence they are deprived of all legal and constitutional rights, which they deserve in capacity of worker.
The speakers said as work is being shifted from formal to informal sector, hence working women are kept further away from realization of their legal and constitutional rights and they cannot knock the door of court. There is no law to govern their wages. Their wages are determined by the contractors and middle men at their sweet will, and when they demand increase in their wages, they are threatened to be sacked.
They said that in fact the workers’ rights are real human rights and without understanding this point a gender justice could not be given to society. As per an ILO report, women in whole world earn 77percent of wages. In the informal sector their wages are not fixed and they have to work 12 hours a day on very low wages. The women workers work as hard as male workers but their wages are 40percet less as compared to the wages of male workers. There is a misconception that male workers are more skilled and sophisticated; therefore, the labor of women could not be compared to them.
They further said in Pakistan the economic conditions are deteriorating sharply. Resultantly, women and specially working women suffer more, as they have already been braving harms of gender injustice. To save them from this dismal situation, the women workers have the only option to raise strong voice against their exploitation. They should wage an organized struggle against this exploitation and join the workers’ movement in a large number.
They demanded that wages of male and female workers should be made equal, and there should be same wages for same work. They said harassment of women workers at workplaces should be stopped. Daycare centers should be established in factories. Women workers should be given fully paid three-month maternity leave, and all discriminatory laws against women should be abolished.
Those spoke included HBWWF general secretary Zahra Akbar Khan, United Home-based Garments Workers Union general secretary Saira Feroze, Association of the Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire Tragedy chairperson Saeeda Khatoon, Husna, HBWWF leader Zahida Mukhtar, Aneela Ramzan, Ruqaya, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) leader Mushtaq Ali Shah, Sindh Agricultural General Workers Union leader Ali Ahmed Panhwar and others.