LAHORE: Members of the Women Workers Forum called on the government to take immediate action to safeguard their livelihoods as they were facing increasing socio-economic challenges due to climate change and unreliable internet connectivity.

The forum, representing gig and platform workers across Pakistan, emphasized that these issues disproportionately impact women workers, who were among the most vulnerable in the platform economy.

At a recent gathering, All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) Chairperson Samia Zahid, demanded the government to regularize online businesses to protect workers from exploitation. “Many platform workers are being overworked and underpaid, often lacking basic legal protections. It’s time the government steps in to ensure fairness and transparency in online work,” Samia stated.

WWF’s Dur-e-Shawar highlighted how these socio-economic challenges are exacerbating gender-based violence (GBV) and increasing the care burden on women. “When women lose income due to disrupted work caused by extreme weather or poor internet infrastructure, it puts them at a higher risk of domestic violence and other forms of exploitation. Additionally, the increased care responsibilities at home, combined with the pressure to earn, are pushing women into deeper poverty,” she noted.

The forum also featured testimony from Ayesha, a gig worker who has been working on various digital platforms for seven years. “I work tirelessly and do not know when I will get a salary. The uncertainty and lack of a clear timeline for payments take a toll on my mental health,” she shared.

She explained how platform work, while providing some level of flexibility, often leaves workers vulnerable to delayed payments, irregular earnings, and mental stress due to the lack of job security.

The WWF and platform workers collectively urged the government to regularize online businesses to protect gig and platform workers from exploitation, ensuring fair contracts, timely payments, and transparent working conditions for all.

They also demanded the legal recognition of platform workers in Pakistan’s labour laws, granting them access to essential rights such as minimum wage, social security, paid leave, and proper contracts.

Furthermore, they emphasized the need to ensure the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association, guaranteeing that platform workers can organize and form unions to negotiate for better wages, working conditions, and protection from exploitation.

Additionally, the forum called for policies to address the rise in GBV linked to economic stress and ensure that women platform workers have access to GBV protection mechanisms and support services. Improving digital infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas, is also critical to providing reliable and affordable internet access so platform workers can maintain a stable income.

They urged the government to develop targeted social safety programs to protect vulnerable platform workers, especially women, from income loss during extreme weather events and other crises.

The WWF also called on digital platform companies to establish worker-friendly policies, including clear payment timelines, better mental health support, and mechanisms for addressing worker grievances.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024