Khuda Bux Brohi Thatta
In a jubilant display of celebration, women home-based workers (HBWs) across Sindh marked International Labour Day with a sense of triumph as they welcomed the significant announcement by the Sindh Government to officially register HBWs across the province. The decision, long-awaited by these workers, signifies a crucial step towards recognizing their contributions and providing access to essential social security benefits mandated by law.
Ume Laila from Home Net Pakistan, expressing her elation, acknowledged the five-year journey it took for the registration process under the Sindh HBWs Act 2018. She underscored the importance of this milestone, stressing the dire need for HBWs to access social security and other benefits, especially in light of the challenges posed by hyperinflation, exacerbated by the post-Covid-19 context.
Women HBWs, organized under various unions, seized the occasion to present a charter of demands to be integrated into the provincial labor framework. Their demands emphasized the recognition of the plight of an estimated 20 million HBWs, along with calls for financial support, skill enhancement initiatives, and adequate budget allocations to address their needs effectively.