Dare I hope?

Parveen was the name of my neighbour’s domestic worker. I know this because from about 8am to 11pm I heard her name.

Parveen was the name of my neighbour’s domestic worker. I know this because from about eight in the morning to eleven at night, I heard her name shouted out every few minutes. Parveen, bring water. Parveen, open the gate. Parveen, get the newspaper. That last syllable of her name drawn out to a high-pitched end. When Parveen did poorly, I knew, for she would be subjected to verbal abuse that resounded through a portion of the street. Parveen could never do well, could she? Also, what we heard were the raised voices and foul language, who knew knows what else came her way? One afternoon, I stood at my window, peering into the adjoining house, determined to spot the enigmatic Parveen.

Parveen was a 10-year-old girl. She may have been older, as it is common for the growth of children from lower income groups to be stunted. Despite how troublesome she appeared to be to her employers, the girl’s tenure lasted the length of the two years that I lived in that house. How she managed to stay in their employment is beyond me, but then, the domestic ‘helpers’ of this country are not exactly flush with options.

A brief report in Tuesday’s papers made me hope otherwise. Yes, it is true. Sindh’s provincial minister for women development, Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, has said that the government is framing a law to protect ‘the rights of home-based female workers like those working at different places in informal sector where hundreds of thousands of male and female workers were deprived of their rights.’

It is true that the possibility of this law could only arise after countless women were raped, tortured and abused. Not just women but young girls such as 12-year old Shazia Masih who recently got a great deal of attention in the press after being tortured and beaten to death by her employers. But what is important is that the agitation of human rights groups, the civil society and the media is about to bear fruit and bring change for the better. It is also occasion to say a word of praise for this government. A law that governed child domestic labour would have been a step in the right direction. A law that governs all domestic labour is an ideal situation.

Let me not get carried away by my enthusiasm though. The problem in Pakistan and other developing countries is not always in the law or the lack of it. The real issue is the implementation of the law. By now, we all know that Masih’s employer was a lawyer and an influential one at that. According to Bhutto, the new law would seek to register all domestic labourers. Is there any guarantee that when and if the law is passed it will be executed?

Published in the Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2010.