Enhancing Women Workers’ Awareness of their Rights and Labour Laws
Under the Gender Equity Program, AWAM launched a 15-month advocacy campaign titled “Enhancing Women Workers’ Awareness of their Rights and Labour Laws” in Faisalabad.
The campaign aimed to inform women working in both the formal and informal sectors about their rights, relevant laws, and workplace protections. It also sought to engage employers and policymakers in dialogues about labor laws and the Sexual Harassment Act, ultimately enhancing policy influence at the district, provincial, and national levels.
The campaign’s first phase involved a qualitative context analysis of Faisalabad, conducted with support from the Human Resource Learning Centre (HRLC). This was followed by focused group discussions with Lady Health Workers, factory workers, brick kiln workers, domestic workers, and peasants. These discussions offered key insights into the specific challenges faced by women workers and helped shape a tailored advocacy strategy.
In the second phase, AWAM organized a Women Workers Convention on South Asian Home-Based Workers Day, attended by over 200 people including parliamentarians and civil society representatives.
Dr. Najma Afzal, MPA, pledged to raise women workers’ concerns in the provincial assembly and advocated for the regularization of Lady Health Workers. AWAM also conducted two intensive three-day training workshops involving women workers from various sectors. These workshops covered ILO Conventions (C-177, C-183, C-189), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and constitutional provisions specific to labor rights.
Further, three women workers—Shazia Waseem, Amna Bano, and Mussarat Jabeen—contested in the 2015 Local Government elections. AWAM also facilitated 155 individuals in acquiring CNICs through NADRA’s mobile service. Six women joined different labor rights federations, and four domestic workers secured employment agreements with clear conditions. Awareness was raised about Akhuwat’s services, with 150 women oriented and 12 persons from three groups receiving interest-free loans ranging from PKR 15,000 to PKR 20,000. Commitments were made by labor inspectors, chamber of commerce members, parliamentarians, and factory representatives to support women workers’ rights, ensure safe workplaces, arrange market access, provide vocational training, and establish day care centers. One of the women workers, Mussarat Jabeen, even launched her own boutique, employing other women and advocating for labor rights.
Contact
- Address: P-98/15, Street 1, Block-B, Al-Fayyaz Colony, Satyyana Road, Faisalabad-Pakistan (38000)
- Email: [email protected]
- Tel/Fax: +92-41-8554335
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