When compared to yesteryears, Pakistan appears to have made significant progress in providing more opportunities to women in the professional sector. However, the improved situation has not yet overcome the plethora of difficulties that working women continue to face. A similar constraint was recently reported by a number of female staff members employed at the Parliament House regarding its critical dearth of facilities including day care.
It is not merely the Parliament House, however, where a lack of required provisions deters women workers from seeking careers. Most of the workplaces that were traditionally designed to employ men have not markedly evolved with changing trends in the labour market. Long working hours and official reluctance to provide flexible schedules highly exacerbate the stressful choice that working women has to make between their careers or motherhood. Nevertheless, even those who manage to juggle both roles are further challenged by the dismal working conditions that neither facilitate them nor their children’s needs. Prioritising the welfare of these women is not only essential for them to enjoy a chance at excelling in life but also to bridge the chasm between Pakistan’s economic potential and its actual output. The consequent administrations have failed to address the perpetually worsening ranking of Pakistan in the list of countries with minimum gender gap — from 132nd in 2010 to 144th in 2015. Pakistan’s mere 28 percent of female workers stands in a stark contrast to countries like Vietnam (77 percent), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (72 percent), Iceland (70 percent), and even Bangladesh (58 percent). As in these economies, Pakistani women can also contribute towards its financial uplift if they are provided with necessary resources so that their personal life is not hampered. Effective legislations need to be implemented across the country to ensure enabling environments for women workers.
Both public and private organisations should follow the lead of the Punjab government, which has already made operational as many as 61 day-care centres in the province, including one at the Civil Secretariat, Lahore. Moreover, most women workers would greatly benefit if such centres are established at all workplaces. A slight investment by employers to help cater to the needs of their staff’s children can greatly ease off their employees’ burden of high-priced private care.
Despite being present on paper, the Maternity Benefit Ordinance 1958 is hardly ever implemented in organisations that employ women. New mothers are often not allowed a chance to accommodate to their changed lifestyles and enjoy the joys of motherhood. Amidst such circumstances, the fact that paternity leave is almost never discussed should not surprise Pakistani fathers. While cultural norms have previously restricted the responsibility of rearing children to mothers alone, Pakistan should rise above these customs if it actually aspires to increasingly utilise both male and female workers. The Parliament House can take a lead in revolutionising the societal mindset against the prevalent constraints that shackle its women workers. Early this year, the Punjab government made a breakthrough development by passing laws that criminalised harassment at the work place. However, the number of pressing issues faced by working women are not restricted to their protection alone. They also require equality in their pay structure as well as job responsibilities to prosper in a gender-balanced environment. Only the introduction of women-friendly policies can truly shatter all glass ceilings presently bothering the Pakistan working woman.*