Legal reforms stressed to improve conditions of women workers

Islamabad:Experts at a capacity building session for women agricultural workers on Sunday called for legal reforms to improve the status and conditions of those women.

The event was organised by AwazCDS-Pakistan, with its chief executive, Ziaur Rehman, stressing the importance of legislative action to protect and empower women agricultural workers. He criticised the recently introduced Punjab Labour Code as a setback for worker rights, especially for women in agriculture.

"While the code includes agricultural workers, it does not add ress their specific needs and vulnerabilities." Rehman urged the government to revisit the code and engage with stakeholders to ensure that labour reforms truly benefit the most marginalised workers. Former executive director of PIPS Zafarullah Khan, who is a consultant with extensive experience in women's legislation, led an in-depth discussion.

He provided insights into existing pro-women laws in Punjab, highlighted alarming statistics on the conditions of rural women, and advocated for specific legislation for women agricultural workers, drawing comparisons with the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act, 2019.

The session included an engaging dialogue with members of the provincial assembly, facilitated by Zafarullah Khan. He encouraged MPAs to reflect on the legislative gaps and their impact on women agricultural workers. The lawmakers said the interaction deepened their understanding of the issues and strengthened their commitment to addressing those gaps.

They expressed strong support for legislative initiatives aimed at protecting women agricultural workers and said they would advance those discussions in the assembly to promote gender equality and social justice in the province. The session featured a documentary titled “Hands that Feed Us,” which highlighted the crucial role of women in agriculture and the challenges they face.