New initiative seeks to empower Pakistani women in agricultural sector

А new collaborative platform named the Provincial Stakeholders Alliance (PSA) was launched last week in Karachi, Pakistan. The initiative represents a step forward in the struggle for the rights of women in the agricultural sector, drawing upon insights from the research report ‘The Hands that Feed Us: Struggles of Women Agricultural Workers in Pakistan’. The report, a collaborative effort by the Awaz Foundation Pakistan: Centre for Development Services, NARI Foundation, and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), underscores the pressing issues faced by women in agriculture, including wage disparities, malnutrition, and systemic discrimination.

The PSA represents a collective of diverse stakeholders, including government bodies, NGOs, civil society groups, legal experts, and media representatives, uniting to address the challenges highlighted in the report. The alliance aims to foster a supportive environment for women agricultural workers, advocating for their rights and well-being through targeted legislative and policy reforms.

During the alliance’s inaugural meeting, Iqbal Ahmed Detho, the chairperson of the Sindh Human Rights Commission, emphasized the critical role of the PSA in raising awareness and implementing the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act, 2019. He highlighted the need for integrated efforts among various governmental departments to ensure the effective empowerment of women in the agricultural sector.

Zia ur Rehman, the chief executive of AwazCDS-Pakistan, stressed the importance of the PSA as a catalyst for change, advocating for the enforcement of existing legislation and the development of new regulations to protect and empower women agricultural workers. He pointed out the ongoing challenges, including harassment, unsafe working conditions, and pay inequity, urging concerted efforts to address these issues through advocacy, sensitization, and legislative action.