Home-based workers.

AT a recent discussion held at the Karachi Press Club, speakers representing the Home-based Women Workers Federation complained about the blatant exploitation faced by those in this informal sector. They noted that the sector is growing each year as factory work is increasingly outsourced to home-based workers, often on a piece-rate system, and yet there has been no change in their lives or the nature of their work. Despite being one of the largest workforces that contributes immensely to Pakistan's economy, they continue to suffer poor wages and mistreatment at the hands of middlemen and contractors. For years, they had little negotiating power and virtually no social safety net. Many reported developing physical impairments and health complications from the painstakingly detailed work they engage in, which consumed many hours of their day, in addition to their daily household chores. Additionally, the perceived lower status of women also means they get paid less than their male counterparts for the same amount of work. Unfortunately, women's labour continues to be overlooked, especially when it is restricted...