Speakers necessitate enforcement of Harassment at Workplace Act
- August 26, 2015, 8:53 pm
- National News
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HQ City Report
QUETTA: The speakers at an event on “awareness-raising and policy advocacy on women’s rights and labour laws for women workers†have underlined the need to enforce the Harassment at Workplace Act 2010 for protection of the home-based workers.
The grant closing event was arranged by the HomeNet Pakistan under USAID-funded Gender Equity Programme (GEP) of Aurat Publication and Information Service Foundation here the other day.
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Director HomeNet Pakistan, Ms. Ume Laila Azhar emphasized that majority of the home-based workers are women, and their economic activities contribute significantly to their family income, security as well as the national economy.
For that reason, the home-based workers should be given priority in different programmes of national and provincial government levels regarding poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment.
Moreover, the minimum wages for the home-based workers should also be determined defining the terms of their employment and ratify the ILO Convention C177 on their rights.
She further stressed the need to initiate the speedy functioning of the Task Force for the home –based workers as notified by the Chief Minister last year.
Similarly, the process for formulation of the HBWs policy also needs to be expedited, adding she stressed.
Ume Laial thanked the USAID for its support which enabled the HomeNet to highlight the issues faced by the HBWs.
The Regional Director of Aurat Foundation, Haroon Dawood highlighted the objectives of GEP. He said that the initiative was aimed at increasing women’s access to justice, empowerment of women at home and workplace, combating gender-based violence and building capacities of civil society organizations working for women’s rights.
The grant closing meeting, he said, focused on awareness-raising and policy advocacy on women’s rights and labour laws for women workers.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director, Women Development Department, Ms. Salma Qureshi said that the government is taking steps for protection of the women. Women development department had always supported the cause of home based workers and shall keep supporting. The recommendations as presented in the meeting would be taken forward.
Moreover, other speakers stressed the need to strictly implement labour laws both in public and private sectors and that there should be a standardized board at the federal level for the effective implementation of equal wages.
They also called upon the provincial government to enforce the Harassment at Workplace Act 2010 for protection of home-based workers.
It was also urged to include amendments in the Harassment at Workplace Act with regard to its extension to women home-based workers and domestic workers.
They also stressed that it is high time to ensure extension of Workers Welfare Board to informal sector workers; inclusion of women workers on the Board to ascertain their voice especially in context to formulation of policies and their implementation.
These steps should be taken for promotion of the collective bargaining and formal collective agreements with employers and / or with the governments as per the ILO Convention 98.
