Daily Times

Businesses should set a minimum goal of achieving 25 percent women employees in overall workforce and in management roles by 2025.

This together with visible action on other sustainable development goals is critical for an inclusive economy and robust business growth in Pakistan, recommends OICCI.

This is one of the key recommendations by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), in its position paper on women empowerment titled “Increasing Women’s Inclusion in the Pakistan Economy – An OICCI Perspective”. The position paper was presented to the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, said a statement issued by OICCI here. OICCI President Irfan Siddique commenting on the key recommendations observed that OICCI members were extremely concerned to note that Pakistan ranks second last for women globally as per Global Gender Parity Report, and that Pakistani women earned roughly 34 percent less than men.

For rectification of the situation, Irfan added, OICCI had compiled a set of recommendations for the government to accelerate women’s employment and career growth in the country. The OICCI recommendations on women inclusion cover three critical areas: equal opportunity for Pakistani women; protection against workplace harassment; and building inclusive work spaces.

Highlighting the key elements of the recommendation on equal opportunity for Pakistani women, Chairman of the OICCI Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, Sami Ahmed observed OICCI has urged the government to encourage businesses to set a minimum goal of 25% women in management roles by 2025, in all key segments for government and non-government organisations/businesses employing more than 50 persons.

Other recommendations include to give recognition to at least one female leader at the national level to empower women and initiate awards for spotlighting outstanding women business leaders– mandate equal pay for equal work by adopting gender neutral compensation and benefit structures so as to reduce pay gap and discrimination– grant tax credit for organisations having female employment at management level beyond a set threshold– invest in public-private partnerships in education to increase the school enrolment of girls– and set up gender based scholarships for women in top universities.

Under Building Inclusive Workspaces, the recommendations urge that the government should mandate creation of daycares in workplaces with at least 50 employees–increase federal maternity paid leave from a bare minimum of 16 weeks to 6 months– to govern provisions of maternity and paternity benefits to employees.