PESHAWAR, Dec 24: Speakers at a seminar have demanded of the government to provide a conducive environment and safety equipment to working women so that they could be protected while working in a hazardous working environment.

All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions (APFTU) and Japan International Labour Foundation jointly organised a one-day seminar for working women here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion the APFTU President Zahoor Khan said that the public and private sectors had failed to provide the necessary safety equipment and health facilities to women working in factories and industrial units.

He said despite the fact that Pakistan was a signatory to the International Labour Organisation working regulations, both the public and private sectors did not follow the ILO recommendations.

He said that in many sectors women were performing their duties in a very poor environment and concerned institutions like Social Security, Labour Department and Old Age Benefit had failed to fulfil their responsibilities.

Speakers demanded that the government should organise special training courses and workshops for working women to enhance their capabilities. They also demanded the provision of proper safety kits for women working in industrial units.