Despite being a significant demographic, the conditions of women workers and peasants in rural Sindh remain a pressing concern. A report titled “Assessing the Conditions of Women Workers and Peasants in Rural Sindh,” launched by the Hari Welfare Association at the local hotel karachi, sheds light on this issue.
The report provides comprehensive evidence on the challenges faced by women peasants and workers, offering valuable insights into gender roles in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock. It advocates for a more inclusive and equitable agricultural sector in Sindh.
The report further highlights that despite various laws aimed at addressing women’s issues, there is a notable gap in their implementation concerning women in rural occupations. For instance, the Benazir Women Support Programme under the SWAWA faces challenges due to its complex and unimplemented board structure. Additionally, the Women Development Department has not adequately addressed the needs of rural women.
In terms of land ownership, 98.7% of women in rural Sindh lack land ownership, which poses significant challenges, from poor harvests to a lack of property rights. While initiatives such as the Sindh Benazir Income Support Programme exist, concerns about dependency instead of empowerment persist. The report also highlights educational disparities, with rural women facing a stark gender disparity in education. Illiteracy among women affects their awareness of their rights, hindering their empowerment and perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Healthcare access is another area of concern, with women peasants and rural workers lacking adequate access to healthcare, resulting in high maternal mortality rates. Social, cultural, religious, and economic barriers further compound the challenges faced by women in rural Sindh.
The report calls for comprehensive interventions to address the multifaceted challenges faced by women workers and peasants in rural Sindh. It emphasizes the need for effective implementation of existing laws and the importance of initiatives aimed at empowering women in the region.
Anis Haroon Member National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan said that there should be a political will to implement exiting women specific laws, and the elected members must ensure and protect the rights of voters. She said that Sindh government has developed many laws which need to implement.
After the floods 2022 in sindh, the vulnerability of peasants women is further increased due to losses in crops and livestock and collapsed homes. There is need to introduce sustainable programs for women which empower peasants and worker women socially and economically
Iqbal Ahmed Detho, Chairperson of the Sindh Human Rights Commission, engaged in discussions regarding the implementation of rights and obligations, touching upon the significance of The Sindh Tenancy Act of 1950 and addressing issues between Hari laborers and landlords. He provided insights into prevalent attitudes and mindsets within society, alongside discussions on land reforms and the findings of the national nutrition survey. Detho emphasized the importance of agricultural items and proposed the potential for Khairpur and Larkana to evolve into agro-industrial centers. Detho commended the Hari Welfare Association for its efforts in launching the report titled “Assessing Conditions of Women Workers and Peasants in Rural Sindh.
Akram Ali President Hari Welfare Association said that the (HWA) noted that despite existing laws, gender inequality persists in Sindh’s agriculture sector. For instance, the 2019 Sindh Women Agriculture Workers Act (SWAWA) recognises women’s contributions but challenges implementation. While the law mandates fair payment and the formation of associations, most rural women do not receive minimum wages, and unionization remains difficult. Similarly, the 2002 Sindh Water Management Ordinance was amended in 2021 to enhance women’s involvement, but bureaucratic indifference hampers implementation.
He further said that the Sindh Industrial Relations Act (SIRA) 2013 acknowledges the right to unionize for both genders, but significant unionization, especially for women peasants, is lacking due to inconsistencies and lack of clarity in SIRA. As of May 2024, no published plan for implementation of SIRA exists, and a lack of rules impedes enforcement.
He said that absence of land reforms in Sindh, the hegemony of a few feudal lord families on lands and the entire governance structure. He said that the Sindh government had instead filed a plea in the Supreme Court to challenge a landmark ruling of the Sindh High Court (SHC) that threw out the regressive revisions to the Sindh Tenancy Act and addressed bonded labour practices in the province.
Pirbhu Lal Stayani Member National Commission on The Rights of Child – (NCRC) said that child labour in agriculture sector is increasing, child girls are deprived from education and other rights, NCRC is going to criminalize child domestic labour through proposing prohibition of Child Domestic Labour Bill 2024.
Kousar S khan a researcher on women rights demanded that every women should have at least 2 Acres of agriculture land for her survival. Government should ensure to provide social protection including minimum wage to the agriculture women workers.
Rida Tahir, legal adviser, at SHRC, highlighted the efforts of the Sindh Government in passing several laws aimed at empowering women. She emphasized the significance of the Women Agricultural Act of 2019, which ensures access to personal protective equipment.
She also spoke regarding the Sindh Maternity Benefits Act 2018, which provides maternity benefits to women and the establishment of day-care centres to increase the labour force participation of women. Despite these measures, challenges persist, particularly in providing adequate facilities for women.
Basran, Women Trade union Leader from Shaheed Benazirabad, shared that they lost their homes and belonging in floods 2022 and compel to drink contaminated water and sleep in open areas. Peasants women are living their lives in miserable conditions, millions of women in agriculture sector are exploited by their landlords and contractors, they don’t have any social protection.
Riaz Ahmed Jakharani Deputy Secretary Law said that Sindh has passed 156 laws in last five years tenure, from which many laws are related to Human rights protection.
Farkhanda Memon from Human Rights Department, Rejo Mal from Labour department, Isahaq Soomro, Aijaz Ali Khoawja, Saeed Baloch, and Abdul Razak Memon also spoke.
