MPAs for protecting home-based workers' rights.

KARACHI -- Women members of Sindh Assembly, representing treasury and opposition benches, here Friday pledged to unanimously support the cause of gender sensitivity, including provision for economic empowerment of women and excluded groups.

Actively participating in a session organised by Home Net-Pakistan and UN Women to mark World Home Based Workers (HBW) Day they also committed to rise above their respective political affiliations to help actual implementation of laws for protection of rights, coupled with social, political and financial empowerment of women and the members of transgender community.

They on the occasion demanded speedy finalisation of the Rules of Business for the HBWs Act that was approved by the Sindh Assembly in May 2018, however, is yet to be implemented.

Sindh Minister for Women Development, Shehla Raza said the provincial government is committed to protect the rights of HBWs and the law introduced for the purpose was fast on its way of implementation.

'We are linking up the HBWs with other streams of women empowerment network at district level in order to bring them to a level where they are able to take their decisions and acquire the rightful benefits they are entitled to as a community,' she said.

The minister mentioned that province had also entered into an agreement with the Government of Japan for strengthening HBWs and facilitating products development on their part with equal attention towards better businesses opportunities for them.

MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi, representing Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) said the law related to HBWs was a significant achievement of the PPP government, however, need was that of its early and efficient implementation.

'Despite being part of a major work-force HBWs remain hidden and unrecognized,' said the parliamentarian representing her constituency for their third consecutive of the assembly.

Expressing her satisfaction that women members of the provincial assembly are on the same page, the senior MPA said once the HBW Act 2018 was implemented their right to be registered as a worker would be recognized ensuring that they avail of the social security and other relevant benefits.

'It is the need of hour to recognize the contribution of the workers contributing to the economy from their homes,' Nusrat Seher...