Int’l Labour Day: SCF organises series of community awareness sessions

HYDERABAD: On International Labour Day, the Sindh Community Foundation (SCF), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Foundation, organized a series of community awareness sessions in Ibraheem Khaskheli and Meho Machi villages in district Matiari.

The sessions aimed to address the decent working conditions and the impact of climate change on women cotton workers, with over 70 women actively participating. During the sessions, Javed Hussain, Head of SCF, underscored the compounded challenges these women face due to labor rights violations and the increasing vulnerability to climate change.

He pointed out that despite being the backbone of the textile industry, women agricultural workers continue to suffer from a lack of basic climate safety measures. Rising temperatures in the region, which have reached 49°C, and more frequent heatwaves are making it difficult for workers to maintain productivity. With no shaded rest areas, insufficient water access, and the depletion of trees in cotton fields, the workers are forced to labour under extreme conditions, which jeopardize their health and earnings.

Hawa Khaskheli, a leader from the Paras Trade Union of Women Cotton Workers in Ibraheem Khaskheli, and Zubaida Machi, a representative from the Sujagi Trade Union of Women Cotton Workers in Meho Machi, shared their struggles, saying that despite their critical role in cotton production, they continue to face exploitation in the form of low wages, lack of health compensation, and no protection from the rising temperatures.

The women workers, along with SCF and the Paras Trade Union, demanded several urgent reforms, including the provision of shaded workspaces, clean drinking water, heat protection measures, and health compensation for workers during extreme heat.

They also called for orientation for growers to increase awareness about climate safety and labour rights, and for social protection systems to ensure that these workers are financially supported during climate-related disruptions.

Hira Arain, SCF Manager, emphasized that the sessions were part of an effort to build awareness around climate adaptation and labour rights protection, and urged the Sindh government to take immediate action to bridge the income gap and protect the livelihoods of these women.

SCF continues to call on the Sindh government, Labour Department, implement comprehensive measures to safeguard the health, safety, and livelihoods of the women who are at the frontline of the climate crisis and the cotton industry.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025