‘Plight of female peasants remains unreported’

Govt fails to enforce minimum wage standards

HYDERABAD:

Despite the announcements made by the Sindh government to support peasants, female farmworkers believe their plight remains unprotected.

At a seminar organised by the Hari Welfare Association (HWA) in Matiari district on Thursday, peasants voiced their grievances, highlighting the lack of coverage under welfare initiatives and the failure of the government to enforce minimum wage standards.

Farmworker Jaamul Malokhani lamented that they are deprived of essential support such as literacy and healthcare. She pointed out that although the minimum wage in the province stands at Rs32,000 per month, they receive less than a third of that amount for their day-long labour.

Malokhani and other peasants also discussed the persistent issue of debt bondage, which continues to plague their lives. They expressed their inability to break free from this cycle due to the urgent financial needs it fulfills.

HWA President Akram Khaskheli said that poverty, poor health, and illiteracy compound the difficulties faced by these peasants. He highlighted the establishment of 12 basic literacy centres across different districts of Sindh by HWA, with over 600 female peasants enrolled. These centres aim to improve literacy skills, numeracy, and essential life skills among farm workers.

“One of the primary reasons behind debt bondage is the lack of awareness about the loans they have taken and the compounding interests they owe,” Khaskheli stated. He elaborated on the four-month literacy course offered by HWA, which covers language, numeracy, and essential life skills, supervised by female community teachers. Peasants are also educated about their labour and peasant rights, as well as existing laws protecting women in the agricultural workforce.

Social activist Yasmeen Tariq highlighted the challenges faced by female peasants in negotiating fair wages, workplace facilities, and protective gear with their employers. She said that the literacy course also provides training on addressing these issues effectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2024.