LAHORE, Aug 23: The Women Workers Union on Friday urged the Punjab government to protect the rights of working women in accordance with the ILO Charter and labour laws in the country.

The government must also evolve a comprehensive policy for working women at the earliest and ensure its effective implementation.

The demands were made at a national conference of women workers held by the WWU in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. It was attended by MPAs Dr Noshin Hamid, Faiza Malik, Lubna Rehan, Shameela Aslam, and Tehseen Fawad, members of civil society organisations, women labour leaders from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

WWU Secretary-General Shaheena Kausar said under the 18th Amendment labour had been made a provincial subject. All labour-related policies and legislation were the responsibility of the provinces. Though the Punjab government had started formulating a policy for working women the process of consultation with women’s organisations was slow.

She demanded early finalisation of the policy and its effective implementation.

The women MPAs assured the participants of supporting the cause in the assembly.