ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has a long way to improve gender-based discrimination but empowering women economically and socially would be beneficial for the nation.

“Pakistan has a low standing in terms of economic participation of women - at the 141st position - and 132nd in terms of education, according to lists compiled by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).”

This was stated by Heather Cruden, the high commissioner of Canada, at a function held to distribute the second ILO journalism awards for ‘gender responsive reporting’ here on Monday.

The four recipients of the awards were: Irum Noor, You Magazine of The News; Aun Sahi and Shahzad Irfan of The News on Sunday, and Kamran Butt of Geo Network.

Ms Cruden said economic empowerment of women helped decrease poverty. She said Pakistan needed social changes and many local issues such as forced marriages of girls, lack of imparting skills to women and deliberately keeping them backward had a negative impact on the society as a whole.

Sherry Rehman, the president of Jinnah Institute, said time had come for women, especially girls, to stand up and try to devise their own destiny.

“Usually, in countries such as Pakistan, power comes with money. Money comes with income but it is strange that many women despite being key earners in their families have limited powers to spend.”

She added: “But at the same time, we see that the house is managed by women.”

However, women of the country should not be overburdened with the responsibility to achieve the MDGs or improving Pakistan’s low standing in various social indicators.

She was hinting at Pakistan’s standing at 148th in the ILO report on gender equality.

Ms Rehman lauded the ILO for encouraging gender responsive reporting and said such issues were usually overshadowed in the wake of other news.

She said Pakistan was a risky place for journalists and taking up gender issues can have serious consequences. But the media should take up such issues.

Speakers at a panel discussion held on the occasion said there were more workers in the informal sector compared to the formal sector but there were no laws for them.

Mukhtar Awan, the chief organiser of the Pakistan Workers Federation, said only Sindh had recently promulgated a law recognising unions established by agriculture workers and those affiliated with fisheries sector.

“There should be rights for the domestic workers too,” he said.

The experts said there were no laws and official protection to the house workers.

One such home worker, Ms Sakina from Skardu, informed the participants about her success story in managing a small scale venture. She not only enhanced her household income but also gained a higher social standing in society.

“Women can benefit from developing indigenous skills and resources,” Ms Sakina said.

Asma Shaikh from a remote village in Thatta narrated her struggle to establish a small business that has provided employment to all the girls in her village.

She is a recipient of Unesco’s skill and action award.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2015

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