KARACHI:
Unlike Western countries, Pakistan does not suffer from a small population, yet it has a small workforce because of poor implementation of labour laws. According to two separate reports published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Bank, Pakistani companies/organisations do not provide adequate maternity protection and have poor laws for working mothers. Both the reports encouraged organisations to follow the regulations and make workplaces more inclusive of women. This will help improve Pakistan’s score on different gender equality indices as well as expand the workforce.
During the world wars, Western nations witnessed an influx of women in the workplaces after which they introduced a range of laws and regulations to ensure the safety and protection of female workers. Now, these countries enjoy high rankings for gender equality and a strong workforce that supports growth and development in the respective countries. Despite being a member state of humanitarian organisations and signatory of many charters, Pakistan has failed to improve working conditions for women. Consequently, gender equality has remained low and workplace harassment, gender discrimination, and violence against women have soared. The absence of maternity leaves and support for female workers and the lack of anti-harassment rules have discouraged many women from working.
The government must ensure that workplaces rigorously implement safety and protection laws for female workers. Women should not face discrimination at work in terms of promotion, salaries or other opportunities and must be accorded the same respect as their male counterparts. Without integrating women into the workforce, the country will continue to lag in progress and growth.
Shahryar Khan
Peshawar
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2022.
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