Lahore : Oct 11, 2023: Public Services International (PSI) and Workers Educations and Research Organization (WERO) put together a comprehensive two-day workshop on “Gender Equality and Inclusivity” in Lahore.
The aim of this workshop was to equip PSI affiliates with the knowledge of how gender relations affect women and other gender minorities in their workplace and society at large. This was to be done by having experts in the field address the participants and also engage with them via discussions and various activities.
To start off, Mir Zulfiqar Ali (Coordinator PSI) addressed the participants and said some welcome remarks. He said that the aim of this initiative by WERO was to sensitize PSI affiliates to the pressing matters of gender inequality. He went on to say that women’s participation in organizations especially in leadership roles is important to ensure they receive equal rights.
Ms Tahira Habib, the main speaker for the workshop, started off by introducing the topic and the general themes surrounding them. Explaining the difference between sex and gender she reiterated that one is biological while the other has to do with societal relations and perception of a person. She told the group that equal rights are about equal opportunities, and protection from discrimination based on someone’s characteristics.
The fight for gender equality is to ensure equal economic opportunities for women, increased participation of women in all aspects of society and prevention of violence against women and girls.
She delved into gender relations throughout history and how the modern form of patriarchy came about. Examining historical roots of gender inequality is important to analyze its impact today.
Examining gender and intersectionality in workplaces,
Ms Habib discussed the common problems faced by women in workplaces. She talked about the strong male dominated culture that exists in workplaces and how it perpetuates gender inequality within those spaces. Due to this culture that exists, women’s needs are not met and their rights sidelined. She gave the example of long working hours, no access to daycare, lower pay and harassment of various kinds that women have to face.
She reiterated that even though in Pakistan’s context women were not integrated into the workforce, it was imperative for them to have a say and participation within the system. Proven again and again, the integration of excluded groups into the societal framework is the only way towards lasting development and prosperity.
In Pakistan’s context, women were mostly involved in agricultural sector followed by the service sector. Here too, intersectionality came into play and the rural woman has it worse because of location than the urban woman.
Ms Habib talked about the gender gap that exists in different forms in our society.
She told the participants that a discrepancy of 12.5 million voters exists between enrolled male and female voters. She also said that the employment-to-population ratio (EPR) for women is 20% in the country and for men is 64%. This discrepancy allows for men to dominate women economically and thus in all other aspects of life She talked about different international documents that Pakistan is signatory to and is required to uphold like the UDHR, the SDGs and ICCPR. Along with these multiple national efforts and commitments exist to safeguard the rights of women and to help those who have been wronged.
On the second day Ms Tahira Habib went on to address gender issues specific to trade unions. She addressed women’s rights to unionize, their right to representation, to collective bargaining and to leadership positions within unions.
The hurdles in the face of this gender parity within unions, she discussed, was that women had lower rates of unionization, double duties as workers and homemaker, political and social spheres’ being considered man’s forte, the prevalent gender gap in labor market and the low ranks of women in industries being translated into unions.
Guest speakers like Ms Humera Aslam and Ms Rubina Jamil talked about their personal experience as a trade union leader and how far along have we come with gender parity in trade unions respectively. Along with the speakers addressing the participants, activities to engage the audience were also held, like group activities and presentations along with interactive sessions.
The speakers and participants together came up with the following recommendations:
The country is experiencing demographic dividend and its benefits could only be reaped after gender mainstreaming is encouraged through promoting gender sensitivity at the work place;
A dialogue must be set in motion between policy-makers, employers and women (workers, feminist researchers, activists and labor activists), whereby they look into how increased digitalization and automation may impact women workers;
This battle of women, along with all genders oppressed by violent ideas through objectification of their bodies that turn actions into policies, has to be resisted;
The right to frame women stories and selves in the light that they choose should be achieved through provision of an enabling environment for them.
Initiate a dialogue between policy-makers, employers, and women workers to examine how increased digitalization and automation may affect women in the workforce. This ensures that the potential challenges are identified and addressed proactively.
Implement strategies to reduce the gender gap in the labor market, such as targeted recruitment efforts, mentorship programs, and equal pay initiatives.
Develop initiatives to increase female unionization rates and create pathways for women to assume leadership positions within trade unions.
Establish an environment that encourages and supports women’s active participation in unions. This includes providing resources, mentorship, and flexible policies to accommodate diverse needs.