The Movement toward a National Policy on Homebased Workers

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The Movement toward a National Policy on
Homebased Workers

• HomeNet Pakistan

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Situation of HomeBased Workers in Pakistan

• With an estimated 300 million home based workers
  worldwide the majority of whom are women and 50
  million are in South Asia alone. The estimated
  figures of informal economy in Pakistan is 20
  million. Among them 12 million are women of the
  total economy.
• But they are not considered workers in the
  official figures

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• In Pakistan80 of a total working population
  is employed in the informal sectorMore than 50
  of these are women77 to 83 of women employed
  at the national level operate in the informal
  sector
• In Pakistan, over 65 of all women workers
  are home-based vs. only 4 of all male workers
  who are home-based
• The majority of home based workers are women.

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Constitutional Provisions

• In total of 70 labour laws
• The own account workers (self employed) and
  contributing family workers (unpaid family
  helpers) accounting for the majority of employed
  as well as employees in the category of casual,
  piece rate and apprentice are out of the purview
  of labor legislation and administration.

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Attributes of Employed Females

• 71.8 of the literates have less than 1 year of
  education
• 59.2 of the female employed are unpaid family
  helpers 15.2 self employed
• 39.6 of female employees are piece rate workers
  16.9 are casual employees
• 68.9 of female employed work in agriculture
• 71.2 of females work in informal sector

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Employment Status
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Informal Sector by Regions and Gender ()
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Employees by Nature of Work
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Labor Legislation by Groups

• Over 70 labor laws cover following
• Industrial relations
• Employment and service conditions
• Occupational safety and health
• HRD and TVET competence
• Social safety nets/social security
• Wages/remunerations

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In Conclusion the Status of HBWs in Pakistan ..

• The existing set of labor laws, applicable to the
  workers in the formal economy, almost ignores
  majority of the working women and men in the
  country.
• Neither the workers in the agriculture sector nor
  in numerous informal economy (sector) activities
  are covered by the existing laws.
• Further, even in the formal economy (organized
  sector) a host of activities are exempted from
  the application of labor laws.
• Labor regulations and institutions would need to
  address vulnerabilities of working women and men
  as well as overcoming capacity and capability
  bottlenecks.

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Status of National Policy in Pakistan

• Initiatives after Delhi Policy Conference 2007
• During 2007, HNP along with its partners namely
  Sungi organized series of Provincial
  consultations on Regional recommendations HBWWs,
  entrepreneurs, govt. line department reps,, civil
  society, the private sector and the media.
• Provincial Advocacy workshop with
  parliamentarians.
• Series of consultative meetings with partners and
  stakeholder
• Collaborative efforts were taken and major
  partners were involved
• Consolidated findings / recommendations of these
  consultations were presented to the MoWD for
  incorporating in the national policy on HBWWs and
  for ratification ILO Convention 177

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• The MoWD requested Sungi and UNIFEM to
  collaborate in organizing a two-day national
  consultation meeting on HBWWs with relevant
  stakeholders in June 2007.
• MoWDs initiative was appreciated by member
• Organizations of HomeNet Pakistan, who felt that
  this was an appropriate time to move towards
  formulating a policy to protect HBWWs rights, as
  Minster for Womens Development and Youth
  Affairs, in her inaugural address promised to get
  Cabinet approval for a national policy on HBWWs.

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Legislative Initiative

• To recognize HBWWs work, a Parliamentary
  Resolution was passed in the National Assembly on
  3rd April 2007.
• In 2007 a draft Bill on HBWWs was endorsed by a
  Parliamentary Standing Committee on Womens
  Development of the former government.
• The Balochistan Provincial Assembly passed a
  Resolution on HBWWs (drafted by Homenet Pakistan)
  on 31st May 2007.

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In 2008

• Bill on Social Protection ..

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National Policy Giving Voice to their Views
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The National Policy for HBWs

• This Policy reflects the commitment of the
  Government, legislators, political parties and
  civil society stakeholders to ensure recognition
  and inclusion of HBWWs as a vitally important
  part of national labour force in unorganized
  non-formal sector

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• National Policy for Homebased workers drafted and
  shared with all stakeholders at South Asian
  Platform on 14-15 Oct 2008 in Islamabad.
• Consultation at Provincial and district level
• Legal drafting in process

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Important Components of Policy

• This National Policy recognizes that
• Home-Based Workers and specifically women ,
  struggle for existence and survival of their
  families have little/no access to credit,
  resources, facilities, skills training, and
  markets
• HBWWs have socio-cultural economic mobility
  constraints that REQUIRE and FORCE them to work
  from their homes
• In Pakistan, over 65 of all women workers are
  home-based vs. only 4 of all male workers who
  are home-based (in striking contrast to India
  11 male HBWs and Bangladesh 20 male HBWs).

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Major Focus

• Registration of HBWs various mechanisms and
  Processes
• Gender-Disaggregated Data Collection and Research
  on HBWWs
• Inclusion in Labour and Employment Policies and
  Legislation
• Ensuring Minimum, Decent and Fair Wages
• Ensuring Access to Credit, Land Ownership and
  Permanent Assets
• Ensuring Access to Marketing Channels and
  Linkages
• Governments Monitoring, Reporting and
  Accountability Role Ensuring Policy
  Implementation and Inter-Sectoral Coordination

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Prospects of National Policy in Pakistan

• Possibilities
• Democratic Govt.
• Involvement of MoWD and its dept like GRAP in the
  process of policy formulation
• Consensus on the final draft of the Policy by
  stakeholders
• Strong Advocacy and networking among CSO
  organizations and network partners
• Involvement of INGOs and Donors to advocate for
  the policy at nation level
• Consistent and ongoing endeavors of the CSO
• Growing tendency of CSO on the legislative issues
  
• Significant number of effective women leadership
  in parliament
• Commitments of the parliamentarians to raise the
  issue of HBWs in assemblies and ensure
  affirmative legislation

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• Obstacles
• Uncertainty of govt. policies priorities
• Political crisis chaos
• Economic Crisis
• Lack of interest by the legislators
• Unwillingness of govt on Women Issues (Head less
  ministry )
• Lack of public awareness
• Inability and lack of orientation of concerned
  departments and institutions on the issue of
  HBWs

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Next Steps - Futuristic Directions

• Strong Advocacy and lobbying with government at
  all levels
• Common and unified platform of CSO for Advocacy
• Need to build pressure from grass root level
  Advocacy campaigns
• Awareness and orientation on labour issues,
  components of National policy and its
  implications
• Redefining the role of the Insurance Industry to
  provide coverage to the poorer sections of
  society (informal economy workers)
• Statistical work related to highlighting the
  visibility and profile of the informal economy
  workers/ HBWs.

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• Recognizing and Supporting Homebased Women Workers

H o m e N e t P a k i s t a n