LAHORE: The Peace and Development Foundation, an organisation working on interfaith harmony and women’s rights, shared on Wednesday findings and recommendations of a study that it undertook to evaluate the implementation of the 15 per cent job quota for women and five per cent job quota for minorities, especially women.

According to the study and data, most of the 327 government departments did not respond while a large majority of the 121 departments and institutions reported that the job quota was not being met.

Around 26 per cent of 121 provincial departments/institutions that had responded met with the 15 per cent quota requirement for women. The figures for implementation of 15 per cent quota for women in public service employments in district offices showed that 258 district offices were approached to assess the status of implementation and 59 out of the 186 district offices that responded, reported compliance.

In 2017, 181 provincial departments and 663 district offices provided data. Only 48 out of 181 provincial departments fulfilled the 15 per cent quota requirement. Out of 663 district offices, 137 fulfilled the requirement.

While the quota system did help rectify women’s underrepresentation in the public sector, the situation is still grim, with women still facing many challenges due to the professional and home life as well as cultural and religious issues that limit their roles.

The study also revealed that no mechanism for systematic evaluation existed in the public sector to see how the quota regime for minorities was functioning. Representatives of women and minority organisations revealed that some minority community women did benefit from jobs quota, but there were others who faced double discrimination.

Perhaps the worst exercise of the five per cent job quota was that most of the municipalities fulfilled this by employing minorities only as sanitation workers, thereby establishing stereotypes and discriminatory behavior.

In 2016, 744 vacancies remained unfilled for want of qualified candidates.

The foundation recommended that five and 15 per cent quotas be implemented and gender-balanced and diverse faith composition be made between men and women during the recruitment process by the selection boards.

Incorporating women into these bodies will help to improve the status of implementation of job quota. The government should promulgate gender-neutral laws and encourage more women-friendly working conditions, while also encouraging the minority community and disabled people along with other marginalized people to acquire qualifications and competence to pass exams and be held eligible for various posts on the quota basis.

Accountability mechanisms for gender equality and mainstreaming initiatives across and within government bodies must be strengthened. The government should apply the diversity principle entailing equity needs between the majority and minorities, and to the benefit of the most marginalised within the minorities.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018