focus on
Less than 1% Pakistani women among overseas workers: ILO study fied, they could facilitate more job opportunities for women abroad.
While Pakistan’s immigration laws provide a level playing field to women and men, women participation in labour migration is still less than 1 per cent, pointing towards gaps in practices and procedures. The Overseas Employment Promoters expressed their willingness to explore more employment opportunities for women abroad. This was stated in a meeting of Experts organized by the ILO as part of a national study on ‘Women migrant workers from Pakistan: why there are so few’ in Islamabad. Dr. Hashim Popalzai, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD, in a message read on his behalf by Mr. Kashif Noor, Managing Director Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), said that Pakistan is the second largest labour exporting country in South-Asia – with major outflows to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. However, women constitute only 0.21 per cent
of Pakistani migrant workers – despite that fact the there are no legal restrictions on women’s employment abroad. The Federal Secretary mentioned that his Ministry was working with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) to explore avenues for women’s skills development and their overseas employment. Mr. Noor reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to promote legal and decent overseas employment opportunities for women. Mr. Aqeel Awan from Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA), in his remarks said that POEPA does not encourage women labour migration due to the unclear policy of the Government on the subject. He also mentioned that the procedural requirements for sending women for overseas employment were much more than those of men. However, he assured the meeting participants that if procedures were clarified and simpli-
The participants to the meeting drew consensus on the following issues: negotiating with high-income European Countries to encourage Pakistani women for jobs; highlighting the issue in the ‘Labour Emigration Policy’ currently being drafted by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development; fixing targets for increasing overseas employment for women; and promoting standard ‘contracts’ between overseas employers and Pakistani workers. It was mentioned that the Government should consider fixing minimum wages for the migrant workers in the Countries of Destination and engage Community Welfare Attachés in all countries to identify specific employment opportunities for women. The study is part of ILO’s ‘Global Action to Improve the Recruitment Framework of Labour Migration- REFRAME’ project, funded by the European Union. The aim is to improve the understanding and awareness of women’s labour migration from Pakistan and to better understand the various causes associated with these limited numbers. The study, based on desk research and interviews with relevant stakeholders and potential women migrant workers, will be completed by mid-May 2018 and will be broadly disseminated for general information and future actions.
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