Labour leaders, social activists, human rights defenders, journalists and representatives of workers’ organisations have called for safe workplaces, gender equality and living wages for women workers, declaring that meaningful social and industrial progress is impossible without the empowerment of working women.
They further stated that women workers will play a leading role in the struggle against economic exploitation and social injustice. These views were expressed at the All Pakistan Women Workers Conference, organised by the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) in Karachi.
The conference brought together women workers from across Pakistan, particularly from the textile and garment sector, alongside representatives of labour unions, social movements and civil society organisations.
The event commenced with the singing of The Internationale, the international anthem of the working class. During the first session, women workers employed in textile and garment factories and industrial units shared their experiences of resisting gender-based discrimination, economic exploitation, sexual harassment, wage theft and unlawful dismissals.
Participants highlighted that sexual and psychological harassment in workplaces had become widespread, while speaking out often exposed women workers to retaliation, including dismissal from employment and social stigmatisation.
Addressing the conference, Zubaida Muhammad Bakhsh, a garment worker employed in a factory producing apparel for an international fashion brand, narrated her struggle against workplace harassment.
She emphasised that women can challenge exploitation only by overcoming the fear and stigma associated with raising their voices. Her successful legal battle resulted in the conviction of those responsible and demonstrated that resistance can break the culture of silence prevailing in workplaces.
She stated that her two-year struggle not only secured justice for herself but also encouraged thousands of other women workers to speak out against harassment, discrimination and abuse.
Other women workers, including Zareen, Tehreen, Soumiya and Bushra, also shared accounts of their successful struggles against wage theft, illegal termination and workplace harassment. They noted that the level of freedom and development in any society can be measured by the status and empowerment of women. They thanked the Home-Based Women Workers Federation for its support and praised the publication of their struggles in documentary form.
Chairing the session, prominent social activist Nargis Rehman said women workers from factories, home-based workplaces and other sectors were emerging as a powerful organised force, and that the conference itself stood as evidence of this growing movement. She expressed solidarity with the participants and said she was proud to be associated with their struggle.
During the second session, representatives of labour organisations discussed the challenges facing more than 20 million workers employed in Pakistan’s textile and garment industry, particularly women workers.
Speakers emphasised that while the textile and garment sector contributes more than half of Pakistan’s export earnings and serves as the backbone of the national economy, its workers continue to face widespread exploitation.
Illegal contractual employment practices, the lack of written employment contracts, the denial of social security and pension benefits and restrictions on unionisation remain common. Labour representatives presented data highlighting gender-based economic inequality. Although women constitute only around 22 per cent of Pakistan’s industrial workforce, their share in the textile and garment sector exceeds 30 per cent. Despite this, women continue to face a significant gender wage gap and receive substantially lower wages than men for comparable work.
Speakers also noted that more than 12 million women in Pakistan work as home-based workers, a large number of whom are located in Sindh. Despite existing legislation, these workers remain largely excluded from social protection and labour rights.
Conference speakers expressed concern over growing authoritarian tendencies, restrictions on freedom of expression, violations of constitutional rights, the implementation of anti-people economic policies promoted by international financial institutions and persistent violations of national and international labour standards.
Speakers criticised governments for neglecting workers’ welfare and strongly opposed anti-worker labour reforms. They particularly condemned the labour code introduced in Punjab while emphasising that any anti-worker legislation proposed elsewhere would also be resisted. At the same time, they welcomed the ongoing consultation process with workers’ representatives in Sindh.
Addressing the conference, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani assured the participants that no labour legislation would be enacted without consultation with workers’ representatives. He highlighted measures taken by the Sindh government, including women’s representation in labour welfare institutions, legislation for home-based workers and women agricultural workers, and the enactment of occupational safety & health (OSH) laws.
He assured the participants that the recommendations adopted by the conference would be seriously considered and that concrete steps would be taken to ensure the rights, dignity, protection and safe working conditions of women workers.
The conference also elected a nine-member Pakistan Textile Garment Women Workers Committee to coordinate efforts aimed at advancing the rights and interests of women workers in the sector.
The conference adopted a series of resolutions, including the immediate implementation of a living wage in place of the current minimum wage across all sectors, strict inspections and penalties against wage theft, illegally low wages and exploitative piece-rate systems.
The resolutions also included an end to the misuse of contract labour for permanent work and the provision of appointment letters, social security, EOBI and other legal benefits to all workers.
Criminalisation of arbitrary dismissals, forced resignations, the denial of terminal benefits during factory closures or down-sizing, the acceleration of registration and social protection coverage for home-based women workers, the removal of anti-worker provisions from labour codes and meaningful consultation with workers’ representatives were also among the resolutions.
And so were the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment, violence, and gender discrimination in workplaces, including mandatory anti-harassment committees with women’s representation; and the protection of women’s rights to unionise, engage in collective bargaining, and assume leadership positions within unions and workplace committees.
Other resolutions included the provision of clean drinking water; safe toilets; separate changing rooms; maternity leave; childcare facilities; safe transportation for women workers; strong OSH regulations addressing heat stress, hazardous chemicals, machinery and fire risks; and mandatory temperature-control systems, ventilation, heat breaks and workplace safety measures in factories.
Establishing active OSH committees with elected women representatives; enforcing mandatory biannual medical examinations for women workers; installing cooling systems; providing additional paid breaks during heatwaves; and including living wages, safe workplaces, gender equality, social protection, and trade union rights in trade agreements involving international brands and buyers were also among the resolutions.
As were an end to the cheap-labour model in global supply chains, the establishment of transparent grievance mechanisms, collective agreements with unions, and the forming of provincial and federal coordination committees for women workers in the textile and garment sector.
They resolved to organise protests outside labour departments, brand offices and exporters’ associations, along with a nationwide All Pakistan Workers March, if substantial progress is not achieved within six months.
