Lets promote gender equality Gender discrimination exists in Pakistan, even in this age and time. The major issues and problems that women face at their workplaces include unequal pay, sexual harassment and less maternity leaves. You! takes a look...
By Najia Ashar
After working for more than six years in mainstream news media as an anchor, she decided to start her family. She was expecting her first baby and despite being pregnant, she worked in different shifts as per the duty roster till the very critical eighth month of her pregnancy. One day after completing her tiring prime time shift, she came out of the studio and was served a termination letter from her employers, leaving her with no medical cover. Having an M Phil degree, she is an experienced journalist who had worked with three renowned news channels before joining the organization that terminated her for no reason. Her supervisor claimed that the company was restructuring and needed to reduce its number of employees. Though she was fired for business reasons, she was pretty sure that the channel would hire a young unmarried woman to fill the exact same position that was supposedly no longer needed.
Gender discrimination exists in Pakistan, even in this age and time. The major issues and problems that women face at their workplaces include unequal pay, security, sexual harassment, lack of proper family support, less maternity leaves, etc. That doesnt mean that single and unmarried women graduates get jobs easily. Even if you fit that criterion, but you prefer to dress up simply, there are slim chances that you will be selected on merit. It has been observed that beautiful women are the employers first choice.
And the moment a working woman gets pregnant, she starts facing discrimination at the workplace especially in areas such as hiring, firing, wages and harassment. Employers may justify the discrimination with concerns about women being unable to work during pregnancy. They argue that such women wont be able to take proper care of their baby after birth. Anti-discrimination laws are now in place to prevent employers from firing pregnant women. Employers are not permitted to refuse women a job or to treat them differently at work because they are pregnant or have young children. Many women who have experienced a situation that may involve possible discrimination do not use the term discrimination to describe it. This may be because of lack of information about what is and what is not permitted, or may relate to an often unconscious strategy in dealing with the situation.
The women who have experienced such situations dont raise their voices against the unfair treatment, and a large number of them dont even report the traumatic experience that they have gone through. The Constitution of Pakistan contains a range of provisions with regards to labour rights found in Part II: Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy. Article 37(e) makes provision for securing just and humane conditions of work, ensuring that children and women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their age or sex, and for maternity benefits for women in employment.
While the Constitution makes reference to maternity benefits for women in employment, there are two central enactments - one federal and the other provincial - providing maternity benefits to women employed in certain occupations. The Maternity Benefit Ordinance, 1958 stipulates that upon the completion of four months employment or qualifying period, a worker may have up to six weeks prenatal and postnatal leave during which she is paid a salary drawn on the basis of her last pay. The Ordinance is applicable to all the industrial and commercial establishments employing women excluding the tribal areas. It also places restrictions on the dismissal of the woman during her maternity leave. Similarly, the Mines Maternity Benefit Act, 1941 is applicable to women employed in the mines in Pakistan.
Organizations should go out of their way to ensure that they provide a safe work environment for their women employees, and should also put up policies to ensure that women feel motivated to work and continue their career, even after the birth of a child. Policies and legal mechanisms alone cannot help in curbing the problems faced by women at their workplaces - the overall attitude and acceptance level of people needs to change.
- See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=7491&magId=1#sthash.wd2vgVR3.dpuf
By Najia Ashar
After working for more than six years in mainstream news media as an anchor, she decided to start her family. She was expecting her first baby and despite being pregnant, she worked in different shifts as per the duty roster till the very critical eighth month of her pregnancy. One day after completing her tiring prime time shift, she came out of the studio and was served a termination letter from her employers, leaving her with no medical cover. Having an M Phil degree, she is an experienced journalist who had worked with three renowned news channels before joining the organization that terminated her for no reason. Her supervisor claimed that the company was restructuring and needed to reduce its number of employees. Though she was fired for business reasons, she was pretty sure that the channel would hire a young unmarried woman to fill the exact same position that was supposedly no longer needed.
Gender discrimination exists in Pakistan, even in this age and time. The major issues and problems that women face at their workplaces include unequal pay, security, sexual harassment, lack of proper family support, less maternity leaves, etc. That doesnt mean that single and unmarried women graduates get jobs easily. Even if you fit that criterion, but you prefer to dress up simply, there are slim chances that you will be selected on merit. It has been observed that beautiful women are the employers first choice.
And the moment a working woman gets pregnant, she starts facing discrimination at the workplace especially in areas such as hiring, firing, wages and harassment. Employers may justify the discrimination with concerns about women being unable to work during pregnancy. They argue that such women wont be able to take proper care of their baby after birth. Anti-discrimination laws are now in place to prevent employers from firing pregnant women. Employers are not permitted to refuse women a job or to treat them differently at work because they are pregnant or have young children. Many women who have experienced a situation that may involve possible discrimination do not use the term discrimination to describe it. This may be because of lack of information about what is and what is not permitted, or may relate to an often unconscious strategy in dealing with the situation.
The women who have experienced such situations dont raise their voices against the unfair treatment, and a large number of them dont even report the traumatic experience that they have gone through. The Constitution of Pakistan contains a range of provisions with regards to labour rights found in Part II: Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy. Article 37(e) makes provision for securing just and humane conditions of work, ensuring that children and women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their age or sex, and for maternity benefits for women in employment.
While the Constitution makes reference to maternity benefits for women in employment, there are two central enactments - one federal and the other provincial - providing maternity benefits to women employed in certain occupations. The Maternity Benefit Ordinance, 1958 stipulates that upon the completion of four months employment or qualifying period, a worker may have up to six weeks prenatal and postnatal leave during which she is paid a salary drawn on the basis of her last pay. The Ordinance is applicable to all the industrial and commercial establishments employing women excluding the tribal areas. It also places restrictions on the dismissal of the woman during her maternity leave. Similarly, the Mines Maternity Benefit Act, 1941 is applicable to women employed in the mines in Pakistan.
Organizations should go out of their way to ensure that they provide a safe work environment for their women employees, and should also put up policies to ensure that women feel motivated to work and continue their career, even after the birth of a child. Policies and legal mechanisms alone cannot help in curbing the problems faced by women at their workplaces - the overall attitude and acceptance level of people needs to change.
- See more at: http://magazine.thenews.com.pk/mag/detail_article.asp?id=7491&magId=1#sthash.wd2vgVR3.dpuf
