Speakers advocate a harassment-free environment in workplace for women

KARACHI: On International Women’s Day, in a programme organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) the rights of women workers, equality in the workplace and the importance of a safe environment were emphasized.

Addressing the participants of the programme, PILER Director Abbas Haider said that providing equal pay to women, job security and a harassment-free environment at the workplace is a shared responsibility of the state and society.

He further said that this day is to pay tribute to the vast historical struggle, sacrifices and role of women in the development of society. It is to commemorate the immense fight that women of the past and present have put on, as well as to renew the commitment to provide equality, protection and justice to women in every sphere of life. Millions of women in Pakistan play essential roles in industries, factories, farms, homes, offices and other sectors. Despite this, they often face problems such as wage inequality, job insecurity, harassment, discrimination and limited opportunities for work advancement. Many women earn less than men despite performing the same type of work, which is a blatant violation of basic human rights.

Sadia Baloch, Council Member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, reiterated that women have the right to work in an environment free from harassment, pressure and discriminatory attitudes. Thus providing that to women, considering the large numbers in which women make up the workforce, is incredibly important. Although there are laws in place in Pakistan to protect women from harassment at work, their effective implementation is still a major challenge. Strict and urgent measures should be taken to make sure that these laws are implemented, and better stronger ones are set in place.

In light of the recent military escalations in the Middle East, Baloch said that women have historically not started wars but have paid the same price for decisions that were not theirs. Destroyed homes, livelihoods, lost lives; she said that we see throughout history that the discrimination and violence against the working woman always increases on the back of war. She said that more women need to be put into positions of power to counterbalance the inequality in the leadership.

Labour leader Shamim Ali, while addressing the participants, said that a major issue among the problems of women workers is the lack of social security and other basic facilities. Many women do not have access to maternity leave, medical facilities, day care centres for children, pensions etc, which makes it unrealistically hard for women to manage work and household responsibilities expected of them.

The participants of the program jointly demanded that effective measures be taken to protect the rights of women workers. In particular, the following measures should be ensured immediately:

• Equal wages should be paid to women and men for equal work.

• A safe and respectful environment should be provided at the workplace, free from harassment.

• Women should be given job security, equal opportunities for advancement and access to training programs.

• Maternity leave, day care centers and other facilities should be provided so that women can continue to work with dignity.

• Women workers should be given access to social security, pensions and health facilities.

The participants further said that they believe that a just and developed society is possible only when women are provided with identical opportunities, making women empowerment not just a “women’s issue” but a human one. One that impacts how we will progress as a society and whether we will have the foresight to celebrate women’s participation in the building of one.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we will continue our struggle to promote gender equality and fight for dignified employment.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026