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February 23, 2003
REVIEWS: Does work empower women?
What are the conditions of women’s employment in the urban manufacturing sector? Does the work empower women? Are they organizing to wrest their rights? These are some pivotal questions raised in this study of 600 plus blue collar women workers in Pakistan.
One factor that has impacted on women’s employment is economic liberalization in Pakistan. Noted economist, Asad Sayeed observes that liberalization in the country which began in earnest in 1991, following agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, “seems to have destabilized the economy further”. It has led to, among other things, a slowdown in economic activity; a “sharp decline in the large scale manufacturing growth rate”; a drop in public investment with the end results: an increase in the rate of inflation and in the percentage of people living below the poverty line which has doubled.
It is interesting to read how the macro economic factors have impacted on women workers. The sharp decline in manufacturing activity and growth, coupled with rising costs, has led producers to reduce labour costs “by hiring part-time workers and sub-contracting”. Women workers have been chiefly hired in the informal sector, where employment benefits are lacking.
This coupled with the fact that health and social sectors have continuously declined during the 1990-98 period has put extra pressure on women.
Farhan Sami Khan, one of the contributors to these studies, explains the sampling methodology and the salient features of the survey. And in the following chapter, he proceeds to give the background of the industries surveyed — the garment industry, pharmaceuticals, food and plastic industry.
Data analysis and the findings indicate that most women workers hail from households that are below the poverty line. Women’s earnings are less than the inflation adjusted minimum wage, and less than men’s in similar jobs. Despite this, women have failed to organize themselves, even in the formal sector.
The most interesting chapter for those interested in women issues is the one by Saba Khattak who discusses empowerment and gender relations. The majority of women stated they felt “more secure” working at home. They also wished to avoid the “social stigma” of working along with men. But the disadvantage here is the low rate of payment. The women’s attitude reveals that they, as well as their families, are as much responsible for the imposition of restrictions that would be considered a “non-issue” for men.
For women who work outside, the chief gains are a boost in self confidence and better wages. However, this work is exacting, and a large number of women complained of listlessness and lethargy, as compared to home-based workers.
How does work affect empowerment? Although women assert themselves better at home, they still remain restricted in terms of movement and mobility. Ms Khattak points out that more than half the women still need permission to step out of the home. Women’s control over their earnings also is “limited”. Less than half the women spent a part of their wages on personal expenses. And few women save money for the future.
But there have been certain gains also — for instance, the women’s attitude towards children’s schooling. The majority sent their children to school. And what is more, they felt educating their daughters was as important as educating their sons. This is an “important shift” in gender relations.
How about the sexual division of labour within the family — do the women experience any relief in household chores? The findings indicate that in just two fields, grocery shopping and children’s education, men share the responsibilities. All other spheres of work are considered solely the woman’s concern. The working woman however tries to get other women in the household to take over some of the tasks so that she can get some respite.
An overwhelming majority of women had no knowledge about labour laws and their legal rights. The low level of unionization in the sectors surveyed probably accounts for this lack of awareness. But it is also true that where unions exist, they do not reach out to the women.
In addition, the long drawn litigation process and the women’s “limited access to the public sphere” provide “little incentive” for women workers to learn about labour laws. However, Khattak stresses that such knowledge is crucial for social change. Given the deteriorating economic conditions, it is essential for women to learn their legal rights and how to fight for higher returns for their labour so that their households can break out of the poverty trap.
The study which has generated a wealth of information, will serve as a useful benchmark for new studies on women workers. The language however is textbook-like, couched in economic jargon, and can turn away general readers. For those lacking persistence, the introduction, the summaries at the end of each chapter and the conclusion will give a good summing up about the main findings.
For those keen on detail, the accompanying working papers will prove helpful.
Structural Adjustment and its Impact on Women
By Dr Asad Sayeed
Income Patterns and Contractual Arrangements of Women Workers in Pakistan’s Urban Manufacturing Sector
By Dr Asad Sayeed and
Sohail Javed
Household Characteristics, Poverty and Indebtedness among Women
Workers in Urban Pakistan
By Dr Asad Sayeed and
Sohail Javed
Women’s Work and Empowerment Issues in an Era of Economic Liberalization: A Case Study of Pakistan’s Urban Manufacturing Sector
Edited by Dr Asad Sayeed and
Dr Saba Gul Khattak
Sustainable Development Policy Institute and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research, PILER Centre, ST-001, Sector X, Sub-sector V, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340. Tel: 021-635 1145-7
Email: b.m.kutty@cyber.net.pk
13pp. 14pp. 16pp. 16pp. 90pp
Price not listed
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