The struggle of the Lady Health Workers of Pakistan is a beacon for us, the Nepali Community Health Workers

Karachi: Nepali community health workers have called the struggle of lady health workers of Pakistan as a beacon and said that Pakistan is a success story in the region where lady health workers got permanent job status after many years of long struggle.

A three-day meeting titled “Community Health Work is also a Job” in Karachi emphasized the implementation of laws that would benefit women workers in general and community health workers in particular so that they get the same benefits. which are available to other public sector employees.

Community Health Workers Union of Nepal and Sindh Lady Health Workers Union informed their experiences in the meeting, All Sindh Lady Health Workers and Employees Union, Punjab and Balochistan Lady Health Workers Union, Health Volunteer Organization of Nepal, Nepal Health Volunteer Association.

“A plan of action has been set up for Nepalese community health workers.”

Speaking on the occasion, Jenny Thapa, representative of PSI Nepal, said that the three-day conference has set a path for future action especially for community health workers in Nepal.

Mir Zulfiqar Ali, Project Coordinator of PSI Pakistan, expressed his concern over the negative policies and laws related to labor in Nepal and Pakistan and said that despite this, we are not hopeless and through our struggle, the rights of lady health workers are not being implemented. Will keep getting.

“Most women are underprivileged in the public health sector due to lack of qualifications.”

Project Officer of Public Service International Ayesha Bahadur emphasized the need to work for public services in Nepal and Pakistan. He said that most of the women are deprived of privileges in the public health sector due to lack of qualifications, which if given privileges can make a huge difference.

He added that being the backbone of the health system, the services of community health workers should be recognized at the government as well as society level and given the right to work in a harassment-free environment. . Their work should not be considered voluntary. They should be fully compensated for their work.

“70% of women work as domestic workers, their contribution to GDP is almost zero.”

Senior trade union leader and president of People’s Labor Bureau Sindh Habibuddin Junadi speaking in a panel discussion on the topic of “Women in Trade Unions” said that he was selected as a consultant at the ILO conference in Geneva. He went to represent Pakistan in the Committee on Equal Opportunities.

He said that he was surprised that no woman from Pakistan was nominated and two men including him are representing Pakistan which shows the marginalization of women in international forums.

He said that 70% of women work as domestic workers, their contribution to GDP is almost zero as this sector is considered unorganized, similarly in the textile sector women workers dominate despite being recognized as workers. There is a failure to do so because the majority of women and children usually work on daily wages and are not paid wages as per the law.

Chairman Sindh Commission of Women of States Nuzhat Shereen said that the commission has raised its voice for women in every sector including fishing and agriculture in its 6 years of service as chairman, despite severe criticism from various circles. was challenged when I raised the issue of harassment of women at their workplaces, saying that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman’s office.

Expressing concern over lack of fisheries policy

Fatima Majeed of the Fisher Folk Forum expressed concern over the lack of a policy on fisheries despite the 72 years of Pakistan’s establishment. He demanded the government to announce to ensure significant representation of women in this policy.

Talking about the challenges faced by women journalists, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Vice President Shahr Bano said that being a gender society, women journalists in Pakistan are always the first victims of any unpleasant situation facing the field of journalism.

He said non-issuance of contract letters, delay in salaries, non-implementation of 8th Wage Board award and pro-women laws and ILO conventions ratified by Pakistan, gender-blind laws, lack of training, employment Absence of protection, workplace harassment, absence of women in NIRC and ITNE, absence of women in platforms like Labor Department and Labor Inspection System represent serious problems.