The effect of energy crisis on the working conditions of Home based Women Workers living in the backward areas of Lahore

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THE IMPACT OF ENERGY CRISIS ON HBWW IN BACKWARD AREAS OF LAHORE.
Chapter 01
Introduction
The effect of energy crisis on the working conditions of Home based Women
Workers living in the backward areas of Lahore.
The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of energy crisis on home based
women workers belonging to accomplishment of small businesses. The aim is to establish
a relationship or an association and an independence of variables.
1.01: Type of Research
It is a co relational research study, which have an aim to discover or establish the
existence of relationship between two or more aspects of a situation. Ex: what is the
impact of an advertising campaign on the sales of a product?
Moreover, it also belongs to descriptive research. It is undertaken with the
objective to describe an area where little is known or to investigate the possibilities of
undertaking a particular research study. When a study is carried out to determine its
feasibility then it is called as feasibility study or a pilot study.
1.02: Introduction
Women and men are equally born by Allah and without equal participation of
both, women and men, no nation can develop properly. From the very beginning directly
or indirectly women were a part of development in every walk of life whether social,
economical or political sector. And there is no doubt at all that present age needs active

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participation of females in all the fields of life to keep in pace with the ever developing
nations.
If we give a look to all the developed nations we will come to know that women
over there are treated as important as men and they are given due rights without any
discrimination. Equal and active participation of women like men is essential and very
important but in order to perform it, they face many problems which are heinous and
troublesome but they have to face all these odds to ensure their existence. It is quite
dreadful that men become hindrance in the way of women who might be their father,
brother, husband or colleagues etc. these problems can be solved by the mutual
understanding of women and men and serves consideration of higher authorities by better
and proper planning, hence women can feel secure in working outside their homes.
The women home based workers usually come from the poor, lower or lower
middle income background and from various age groups and posses very little or no
education at all. Young girls of age 6 to 14 are working and helping their mothers in
making and finishing the tasks assigned to them by the middleman against extremely low
remuneration while working 12-16 hours daily under conditions that are frequently harsh,
unhealthy, and hazardous. (National Policy on Home Based Workers, 2009).
1.03: Definition of Home BasedWork by ILO
“Work carried out by a person (home worker) for remuneration in his or her
home in other premises of his or her choice, other than the workplace of employers.”
(ILO Convention 177).

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1.03.1: Lack of Recognition of In Door Work
Women participation in the informal sector in Pakistan is growing rapidly. People
at low levels of income can not afford to remain unemployed; hence, they enter informal
labor work with their high skills and low salary. The informal sector includes much of the
service sector; the construction labor force and women’s home based labor as well as
vendors, hawkers etc.
There is growing realization among academics and policy makers alike, of the
significance of the informal sector as well as the role it plays, and can play, in addressing
the employment needs of a growing labor force. However, there is a dearth of sufficient
information and data concerning the site of the informal labor force, employment partners
within this sector, the nature and extent of the kind of activities being undertaken in this
sector and specific characteristic of the demographics of the informal sector. The
majority of women employed in the formal sector are engaged in different errands like
sewing, embroidery and carpet weaving.
Types of Work:
1. Sewing (Stitching of clothes for all age levels).
2. Embroidery.
3. Foot ball making.
4. Candle making.
5. Hand made fans.
6. Pottery making.
7. Carpets weaving.

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8. Spinning of yards.
9. Stringing Tasbihs.
10. Shelling Peanuts.
11. Pasting envelops.
12. Knitting.
13. Weaving cloths.
14. Earring Beads.
15. Strings badminton.
16. Jewellery making.
17. Brick Kiln.
18. Fashion Designing.
19. Packaging Food stuffs.
20. Instrumental work.
21. Affiliate Marketing (Ebay Seller).
22. Freelance Writer (Article writing).
23. Pet Minding (Dog Walking).
24. Business Mentor (Business Coaching).
25. Photography.
26. Technical Support.
27. Bookkeeping.
28. Tutoring.
29. Medical or Legal Transcription.
30. Medical Claims Billing.

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31. Senior Care Service.
32. Musical Instrumental Lessons.
33. Wedding or Event Planner.
34. Personal Chef.
35. Home or Business Cleaning Services.
A study of low income areas in Karachi revealed that women home based workers are
engaged in three hundred different types of tasks. A pilot study conducted by the Minister
of Man Power and Overseas Pakistani indicated that the informal sector engaged nearly
two third of the country’s labor force statistics documented in the Human Development
Report indicate that of the female labor force( of 14 million), a 33 million work in
informal sector ( most of whom) work without any benefit or provision from the
country’s economic infrastructure. Despite the discrepancies in labor statistics, it has
become apparent from micro level studies that for the majority of home based workers,
working condition and the terms of labor are exploitative.
While some women entrepreneurs can earn a reasonable living, the majority of the
informal sector is characterized by long working hours for low income. In the absence of
legislation concerning working conditions, minimum wage rates, maternity benefits and
social security, there is no legal protection against economic exploitation. Middle man
takes advantage of the fact that these women work in isolation without from trade unions
or access to market information, making them depending on these middle men for their
work. These women are also generally outside the purview of a range of other essential
services, such as financial schemes, health care, child care etc. since the work for most of
these workers requires little or no skill, it is easy for them to get piece rate work, but they

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can lose it just as easily, especially if they protest against the rates of wages or the
irregularities of work or delay in the payment of wages. With such high poverty levels,
they are playing a crucial role in making the economy strong even if it is ‘Seasonal work’
i.e. it disappears as the season ends. Despite of low wages they always want more and
more work just to fulfill their needs.
A large number of women at low level in different areas whether rural or urban areas
are involved in home based work so naturally it becomes necessary to organize women in
the informal sector and the state also needs to negotiate on it then making some positive
and reasonable policies for the betterment. Without such an initiative, proper recognition
and the social protection for this labor force will not be possible.
1.04: Present Situation of Energy Crisis in Pakistan
The word energy derives from Greek which possibly appears for the first time in
the work Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle in the 4th century BC. In physics, energy is a
quantity that is often understood as the ability to perform work. This quantity can be
assigned to any particle, object or system of objects as a consequence of its physical state.
(Harper Douglas 2009).
Different forms of energy include Kinetic, potential, thermal, gravitational, sound,
elastic and electromagnetic energy. The forms of energy are often named after a related
force. German physicist Hermnann Von Helmhottz established that all forms of energy
are equivalent i.e. energy in one form can disappear but the same amount of energy will
appear in another form (R. Resnick & D. Halliday, 1960).

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Energy can be obtained by different sources e.g. petrol, coal, natural gas, water
etc. The energy we are talking about is electric energy; in the present age electric power
is really needed to live a sustainable and harmonious life because work at all levels
depends upon electronic devices, without their usage life slow downs in every mean.
Pakistan is facing severe energy (electronic) crisis from past 3-4 years however it
has become worst from the last 2 years. The lack of electricity or long time failure of
electricity has made the people of our country sick of it because at all level of work
electricity is needed terribly and electricity crisis have lessened the work capabilities and
production in all spheres of life.
Consequently, the women home based workers are also suffering from the
rigorous and relentless crisis and logically it poorly effects on their socio-economic
matters.
1.04.1: Introduction about Energy Crisis in Pakistan:
The electricity Pakistan is presently facing a serious energy crisis. Despite strong
economic growth during the past decade and consequent rising demand for the energy, no
worthwhile steps have been taken to install new capacity for generation of the required
energy sources. Now, the demand exceeds supply and hence “load shedding” is a
common phenomenon through frequent power shutdowns. Pakistan needs about 14,000-
15,000 MW electricity per day, and the demand is likely to rise to approximately
20,000MW per day by 2010. Presently, it can produce about 11,500 MW per day and
thus there is a shortfall of about 3,000- 5,000 MW per day. This shortage is badly
affecting industry, commerce and daily life of people.

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All possible measures need to be adopted, i.e. to conserve energy at all levels, and
use all available sources to enhance production of energy. It seems that the government is
considering importing energy from Iran and Central Asian Republics and using
indigenous sources, such as, Hydel, coal, waste, wind, and solar power, as well as other
alternate and renewable energy sources, besides nuclear power plants for production of
energy. Needless to say that if the country wishes to continue its economic development
and improve the quality of its people, it has to make serious efforts towards framing a
coherent energy policy.
Energy crisis is the most burning issue that is facing by the whole world now
days. It is one of the basic requirements of economic development and an adequate
standard for living. The demand in the electrical energy demands in a country is
proportional to the growth in the population. If this demand is not met with the supply,
energy crisis is produced. Pakistan has been facing an unprecedented energy crisis since
last many years. Thos problem becomes more severe in summer and as a result shortage
of electricity is faced 8 to 10 hours in urban areas while 16 to 18 hours in rural areas. The
above mentioned circumstances are due to lake of management and planning. Any power
system has three major parts: Generation System, Transmission System and Distribution
System.
The main technical causes of the shortfall in the ability of energy crisis in Pakistan
are:
1. Insufficient installed generation capacity.
2. Transmission system unable to transmit the load.

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3. Grid stations and related equipment unable to carry the load imposed.
4. Substantial distribution system of power supply.
The major management related causes of the crisis are:
1. Faulty management information system.
2. Failure of forecast and future planning.
3. No new transmission/distribution networks and grid stations.
1.04.2: Historical Background:
At the time of independence in 1947, Pakistan inherited 60MWof the power
generation capability for a population of 31.5 million, yielding 4.5 units per capita
consumption. The Government of Pakistan in 1952 by acquiring shareholding took
control of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) engaged in generation,
transmission and distribution of electric energy to the industrial, commercial, agricultural
and residential consumers of the metropolitan city of Karachi and its suburbs.
In 1958, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was created as a
semi- autonomous body for the purpose of coordinating and giving a unified direction to
the development of schemes in water and power sectors, which were previously being
dealt with by the respective electricity and irrigation department of the provinces. In
1959, the generation capacity had increased to 119 MW and by that time the country had
entered the phase of development, which required a dependable and solid infrastructure,
electricity being its most significant part. The task of power development was undertaken
by WAPDA for executing a number of Hydel and thermal generation projects, a

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transmission network and a distribution system, which could sustain the load of the
rapidly increasing demand of electricity.
After the first five years of its operation by 1964-65, the electricity generation
capability rose to 636 MW from 119MW in 1959, and power generation to about 2,500
MKWH from 781 MKWH. At the inception of WAPDA, the number of electrified
villages in the country was 609 which were increased to 1882 villages (6, 88,000
consumers) by the year 1965. The rapid progress witnessed a new life to the social,
technical and economic structure of the country. Mechanized agriculture started,
industrialization picked up and general living standards improved.
The task of accelerating the pace of power development picked up speed and by
the year 1970, the generating capability rose from 636 MW to 1,331 MW with
installation of a number of thermal and Hydel power units. In the year 1980, the system
capacity touched 3,000MW which rapidly rose to over 7,000MW in 1990-91.
However, electricity consumption in Pakistan has been growing at a higher pace
compared to economic growth due to the increasing urbanization, industrialization and
rural electrification. From 1970 to the early 1990s, the supply of electricity was unable to
keep with demand that was growing consistently at 9-10% per annum. In the early 1990s,
the peak demand exceeded supply capability about 15-25%, necessitating load shedding
of about 1,500 – 2,000 MW. On the demand side, there was a weak link between the
electricity price and demand, which failed to manage the demand. On the supply side, the
main reason behind this capacity shortage was the inability of the public budget to meet
the high investment requirement of the power sector, despite the allocation of a high

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share to this sector. During the 1990s, the economic growth rate of Pakistan declined to a
level of 4-5% per annum from a level of 6% per annum in the 1980s.
In order to eliminate power shortage/ load shedding in the minimum possible
time, the Government constituted an Energy Task Force in 1993 to devise a consolidated
and comprehensive policy for revamping the energy sector. On the recommendations of
the Energy Task Force, the Government announced a “Policy Framework and Package of
Incentives for Private Sector Power Generation Projects” in March 1994 for a large scale
induction of private sector in power development. The said policy offered a fix levelized
tariff of USD 5.57/kWh to the prospective investors (USD 6.1/kWh average for 1-10
years) and a number of other incentives to attract foreign investment in the power sector.
The Power Policy 1994 helped in overcoming load shedding in the country.
Rather, it resulted in surplus power as the actual load growth was much less than
projected and the projects were contracted beyond requirement. Moreover the Policy
attracted only thermal projects resulting in reversal of Hydel/ thermal generation mix.
In the year 2000, the vertical disintegration of WAPDA started as part of the
country’s new electricity market restructuring and liberalization program. Since then
WAPDA has been broken down into fourteen separate units: four thermal power
generating companies, nine distribution companies and a transmission and distribution
company. In November 2005, the Government of Pakistan privatized (74.35%) the
Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC). At present KESC and WAPDA operates their
own networks and are interconnected through 220KV double transmission lines and can
supply power to each other. On June 30, 2008, the total generation capacity from

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WAPDA’s own Hydel and thermal sources plus generation from two nuclear power
plants, KESC and independent Power Procedures (IPPS) stood at 19,420 MW.
1.04.3: Present Situation of Crisis:
At present, less than 45% of Pakistan’s population has no access to electricity.
The nation is currently facing 5,000 MW power supply shortage-the most severe energy
crisis to ever hit the country. The occurrence of the prolonged and frequent power
outages has had a negative impact on industry operation, the economy and the livelihood
of citizens in general. While the energy shortage continues to grow, abundant indigenous
sustainable energy resources such as wind, solar and biomass remain virtually untapped.
The government attempted to promote the adoption of renewable energy technologies
(RETs) in 2006 by implementing its first renewable energy policy. However, this Policy
has had limited success and faces a number of challenges. These policy challenges must
be clearly identified and addressed in order to pave the way forward for a sustainable
energy future in Pakistan.
Currently, approximately 60% of power generation in Pakistan is derived from
fossil fuels (primarily oil and gas) followed by hydroelectricity (35%) and nuclear energy
(2.84%).
1.04.4: Electricity Generation:
The electricity production sector in Pakistan is a miscellaneous industry of hydro,
thermal and nuclear power plants. The country meets its energy requirement around 41%
by indigenous gas, 19% by oil and 37% by hydro electricity. Coal and nuclear

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contribution to energy supply is limited to 0.16% and 2.84% respectively with a vast
potential for growth.
1.04.4.1: Hydel Generation:
As a fact of partition of the Indo-Pakistan Sub- Continent in 1947, India and
Pakistan became two autonomous states. Hydel generation capacity of only 10.7 MW
(9.6MW-Malakand Power Station & 1.1 MW- Renala Power Station) existed in the
territory of Pakistan. With the passage of time, new Hydel power projects of small and
medium capacities were commissioned including the first water storage dam and power
house at Warsak due to which country’s Hydel capacity rose to about 267MW up till
1963. In the year 1967 & 1977, Mangla Dam on Jhelum River and Tarbela Dam on Indus
River having the power generation were commissioned respectively. However, their
capacities were subsequently extended in different phases. Pakistan has a huge potential
to produce electric power from hydro-electric power plants. Construction of all these
plants gives almost 6,444 MW. This easily meets the electric energy requirement of
Pakistan for next 20-25 years. The hydro-electric power has a great potential and and
these plants can give low cost electricity. As they are run of river plants, they can be
easily installed with minimum cost and in short time.
The seasonal variations of reservoir levels and consequent reduction in Power
outputs of storage type hydel projects in Pakistan are very pronounced. Tarbela with
maximum head of 450 feet experiences variation of 230 feet while Mangla has 162 feet
variation against the maximum head of 360 feet. The lean flow period of Tarbela
reservoir is from November to June when the Capability reduces to as low as about 1,350

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MW against the maximum of 3,692 MW during high head period i.e. August to
September (15% permissible overloading on Units 1~10). Lean flow period of Mangla
reservoir is observed from October to March when the minimum generating capability is
500 MW. The capability rises to as high as 1,150 MW during 'high head' period (15%
permissible overloading).
In all, WAPDA's hydel generating capability varies between the two extremities
of 2,414 MW and 6,746.0 MW over the cycle of a year. WAPDA is carrying out
feasibility studies and engineering designs for various hydropower projects with
accumulative generation capacity of more than 25,000 MW. Most of these studies are at
an advance stage of completion. After the completion of these projects the installed
capacity would rise to around 42,000 MW by the end of the year 2020. Pakistan has been
blessed with ample water resources but could store only 13% of the annual flow of its
rivers. The statistics warrant construction of number of reservoirs to enhance availability
of water which stands at 1,070 cubic meters per capita.The hydropower potential in
Pakistan is over 100,000 MW with identified sites of 55,000 MW. Currently, studies
under way include Diamer Basha (4,500 MW), Bunji (5,400 MW) and Kohala (1,100
MW) amongst many others. As mentioned previously, hydro is the only sustainable
energy resource which Pakistan has been effectively employed for large-scale power
generation. Currently, Pakistan has an installed hydropower capacity of approximately
6.6 GW. This figure is only 16% of the total hydropower potential in Pakistan, estimated
to be about 41.5 GW.

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1.04.4.2: Thermal Generation
Pakistan with 185 billion tons of coal reserves, the fourth largest in the world, is
under utilizing this resource. In the overall energy mix, the share of coal power is only
7% as compared to world average of 40%. Coal is the main source for producing cheaper
electricity and the Government has decided to enhance the share of coal in the overall
energy mix of upto18% by 2030. The Government is striving hard to minimize the gap
between consumption and generation of electricity at affordable rate.Pakistan has the 4th
largest coal reserve in the World, amounting to approximatel185.175 billion tones. Thar
has largest reserve in the country that is approximatey 75.5 billion tones. Pakistan can
generate more than 100,000 MW of electricity for next 30 years if it uses all coal
available to it. Bulk of Pakistan’s power generation is based on thermal resources mainly
furnace oil and natural gas as fuel; coal is almost non-existent. The total installed
capacity of thermal power plants in the country as on June 30’ 2008 was 12,478 MW. It
is learnt through the sources of Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) that an
investment of around US$ 2 billion is expected in power sector through Rental Power
Projects (RPPs) and an additional electricity of 1,675 MW will be added in the system by
2009-10 when nine rental power projects will start generation. At present Pakistan
generates only 0.79% of its total electricity from coal. Coal contributes approximately
40% of the total global primary energy demand

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1.04.4.3: Nuclear Power Generation
Pakistan is among the 30 nations in the world, which have reposed confidence in
Nuclear Power Plants. The global installed capacity of Nuclear Power Plants stood at
375,000 MW at the end of 2010, based on 442 Nuclear Power Plants. Since the first
Nuclear Power Plant was installed in 1950, tremendous progress has been achieved in the
field of Nuclear Power Generation. There has been substantial improvement in the
efficiency of Nuclear Power Plants and their availability factor has also increased, which
means reduced downtime for maintenance. These improvements have encouraged a
number of Asian nations to go for Nuclear Energy in a big way. Japan and South Korea
were already among the leading nations producing nuclear electricity. In recent years China
and India have made huge investments in Nuclear Power Plants. China presently has 11
Nuclear Power Plants of total 9000 MW capacity, while the total installed capacity of 20
Nuclear Power Plants in India has reached 4780 MW. India has also recently
commissioned a locally increase the installed capacity of its Nuclear Power Plants to
8800 MW by 2020 by installing 10 new Nuclear Power Plants. Pakistan is presently
importing fuel for the developed nuclear power reactor of 220 MW capacity. Pakistan has
also drawn up plans to Nuclear Power plants from China. In order to make the country
self-sufficient in nuclear fuel,a facility is being developed, which will use locally
available Uranium ore to produce 350 tons of nuclear fuel annually starting from 2015.
To take care of the nuclear waste generated by the Nuclear Plants, Waste Management
Centers are being developed at Karachi and Chashma, and a Repository for low and
intermediate level waste is expected to be commissioned by 2015.

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1.04.4.4: Renewable Energy
Pakistan has abundant available and unlimited renewable energy (RE) resources,
which if tapped effectively can play a considerable role in contributing towards energy
security and energy independence of the country. In May 2003, Alternative Energy
Development Board – AEDB was established to act as a central agency for development,
promotion and facilitation of renewable energy technologies, formulation of plans,
policies and development of technological base for manufacturing of renewable energy
equipment in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has tasked the AEDB to ensure 5%
of total national power generation capacity to be generated through renewable energy
technologies by the year 2030. In addition, under the remote village electrification
program, AEDB has been directed to electrify 7,874 remote villages in Sindh and
Balochistan provinces through renewable energy technologies. At present, total
Renewable Energy produced in the country accounts at 40MW which is about 0.21% of
total installed generation capacity of all sorts. America, Canada and China have invested
large sums of money into research and development in order to obtain maximum energy
from wind. Wind power is now the fastest-growing energy source worldwide. Total
worldwide production of electrical energy from wind is around 30000MW. Germany,
with over 12,000 megawatts of wind power at the end of 2002, leads the world in
generating capacity. Spain and the United States, at 4,800 and 4,700 megawatts, are
second and third. Many predict that, with the development of more efficient wind
turbines, wind energy will provide an increasingly large proportion of electrical
production in the U.S. Tiny Denmark is fourth with 2,900 megawatts, and India is fifth
with 1,700 megawatts. Although a score of countries now generate electricity from wind,

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a second wave of major players is coming onto the field, including the United Kingdom,
France, Italy, Brazil, and China. However, land clearing for vast "wind farms" may cause
concern to environmentalists. The investment in renewable, 50 MW wind energy project
has been deployed in the Sindh region to date - that, too, with limited success (Daily
Times, PM Inaugurates Pakistan’s First Wind Power Project 2009).
The potential for renewable energy technologies to bridge the gap between energy
supply and demand in Pakistan is significant. Renewable energy projects have the
potential to improve energy security, provide socioeconomic benefits, reduce local
pollution and mitigate climate change. Further, due to the decentralized nature of
renewable energy projects, they have the potential to provide electricity to remote and
rural areas, thereby helping to alleviate poverty and reducing the need to collect and burn
biomass fuel.
Solar, wind, biomass and hydro energy resources are widespread and abundant in
Pakistan. The potential for each of these energy resources to help meet energy needs will
be discussed below.
1.04.4.5: Solar Energy
Pakistan lies about 15.5x1014 kWh of in a region of high solar irradiance; as
such, it is ideally suited for solar energy projects. Pakistan receives solar irradiance each
year with most regions receiving approximately 8 to 10 sunlight hours per day. The
installed capacity of solar photovoltaic power is estimated to be 1600 GW per year,
providing approximately 3.5 PWh of electricity (a figure approximately 41 times that of
current power generation in the country[15].

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1.04.4.6: Wind Energy
Pakistan has high potential of renewable energy sources. A very large part of the
rural population does not have the facility of electricity because they are either too remote
or it is found too expensive to connect their villages to the national grid station. Pakistan
being in the sunny belt is ideally located to take advantage of solar energy. This energy
sources is widely distributed and abundantly available in the country. During last 15
years Pakistan has shown quite encouraging progress in the use of photovoltaic cells.
Currently electrical power derived from solar energy is being used is being used in some
public parks. These include Khalid bin Waleed Park in Peshawar and the Race Course
Park in Rawalpindi. The Public Health department has installed solar water pump for
drinking purposes in some parts of the country. Both public and private sector are playing
their role in up grading of photovoltaic system in the country. If this technology is used in
large scale commercial production of electricity the problem of energy shortage can be
substantially reduce. Wind energy has also been shown to have strong technical potential
in Pakistan, particularly in the southern regions of Sindh and Balochistan. Pakistan has
approximately 1000 km of coastline with steady average wind speeds ranging between 5-7
m/s. The projected installed capacity for wind energy projects is estimated at 122.6 GW
per year, providing about 212 TW of electricity
1.04.4.7:Biomass Energy
The availability of biomass in Pakistan is also widespread. Approximately 50 000
tonnes of solid waste, 225 000 tonnes of crop residue and over 1 million tonnes of animal
manure are produced 3 daily. It is estimated that the potential production of biogas from

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livestock residue is 8.8 to 17.2 billion cubic meters of gas per year (equivalent to 55 to
106 TWh of energy). Additionally, the annual electricity production from bagasse (the
fibrous residue remaining after sugarcane or sorghum processing) is estimated at 5700
GWh; this figure is about 6.6% of Pakistan’s current power generation level.
Undoubtedly, renewable energy resources in Pakistan are widespread and present
significant technical potential to meet energy needs. This begs the question then, if the
potential for renewable energy resources in Pakistan is so great, why has there been such
little development in this field? The technical potential and availability of renewable
energy resources alone provides little indication about the success of renewable energy
project development in a country. For instance, Pakistan has a greater technical potential
for wind energy projects compared to its neighbor, India, yet India has the fourth largest
installed capacity of wind power in the world. Indeed, no matter how much technical
potential exists, it is of little use unless an effective policy bolsters development. To this
end, Pakistan instituted its first renewable energy policy in 2006. However, this policy
has stimulated limited growth since its implementation. The slow uptake of renewable
energy technologies can be attributed to numerous factors, ranging from a lack of
infrastructure to poor competition with conventional power generation. In order to pave
the way forward for a sustainable energy future in Pakistan, the challenges which energy
policies face must be systematically identified and addressed. This paper intends to
discuss policy strengths and challenges and to provide insight into how Pakistan can
move forward towards a sustainable energy future.

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1.05: Statement of Problem
The study aimed to classify the effect of energy crisis on home based working and
in result hindrance faced by them in their production of work. Moreover, the study also
investigated the factors that were creating problems in working span of the women
workers. Researchers revealed all the aspects i.e. social, economical, physical and mental
problems of the women workers by conducting surveys in the selected areas.
1.06: Objectives
The study aimed to;
1. Find out the problems home based women workers were facing due to energy
crisis.
2. Compare the amount of work done by home based women workers and their
income level before and after the energy crisis.
3. Find out how energy crisis had effected home based women worker’s family and
social life.
4. Explore the economic problems faced by home based women workers.
5. Find out the psychological anxieties faced by home based workers and their
effects on them.
1.07: Significance of study
Very few studies have been conducted in Pakistan on this issue therefore it is the
need of time to conduct research on this burning issue. This sector, because of the lack of
research and low data, has been given low priority by the government. This research is a

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major step in the area of employment and effect of havoc energy crisis on the living of
home based women workers. The study raises an awareness regarding the importance of
women’s labor force. This research would also explore the social, financial, health and
personal problems of home based women workers and its effects in their lives.
1.08: Operational definition of Variables and its types
1.08.1: Energy Crisis:
Energy crisis for home based women workers is the short fall in the supply of
electricity and irregular failure of electricity for about 8-10 hours daily. So an energy
crisis is any great short fall in the supply of energy resources to an economy which
usually refers the shortage of oil and additional to electricity.
It is referred to independent variable, an assumed cause.
1.08.2: Home based Women Workers from back ward areas:
These women are mostly the part of large families, where almost all family
members regardless of their age & sex work for the survival of family. Hence majority of
these women start work from the age of 10-12 years and are illiterate as well as burdened
with domestic work load and family responsibilities. They weave carpets and stitch
clothes on order and are piece rate workers.
Backward areas are resembles with slum areas which are heavily populated urban
areas characterized by the substandard housing and squalor often attached with the elite
towns.

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So, working women conditions and population from backward areas are
dependent variables.
1.08.3: Intervening Variables:
These are several other factors operating in the real life situation and they may
affect changes in the dependent variables. These factors are the income levels before and
after the energy crisis, the affect to them w.r.t. social & economical and physiological
life.
1.09: Methodology:
1.09.1: Researchtype
This is a qualitative research.
1.09.2: Population
The study consisted of home based working women in the backward slum areas
of city Lahore.
1.09.3: Sample
One hundred home based women workers with the age of 16-50 was the sample
of the study.
1.09.4: Sampling Technique
Multi stage sampling technique was used, firstly purposive sampling technique
and then random sampling technique was applied.

24
1.09.5: Data Collection
Researchers approached the home based women workers with the help of Women
Worker Help Line. This sample was selected from the area of Kot Lakhptt and Shahdara.
Equal number of respondents was taken from both areas i.e. 50from each area.
1.09.6: Data collection Tools
The study was conducted through focus group discussions; one group was
consisted of 8-10 women and each group of women was categorized by age. The
interview schedule for FGD was developed in English and in Urdu. The tool for data
collection was focus group discussion and respondents were personally approached.
Sample size was comprised on 100 HBWW from the area of Kot Lakhptt and Shahdara
i.e. 50 from each area. Sample of the study was selected by multi stage or multi purposive
sampling i.e. firstly the researcher used purposive sampling and then random sampling
technique was used.
1.09.7: Analysis of Data
The demographic data was explained in the form of graphs and tables while
discussed analysis was done for the FGD.
1.09.8: Limitations
 Limitations do not include the flaws or weaknesses but it include the boundaries
of the study and ways in which the findings may lack generalizability.
 The purpose of writing this dissertation is institutional purpose, which is done to
ensure that the degree holder has made a contribution to the field- and also to

25
uphold an honored academic tradition. The dissertation has an ancient history,
going back to the medieval university where it was required of all those who
wanted to teach. The dissertation, now, of course, is perceived by the university
faculty as a demonstration of the candidate’s fitness to conduct and publish
research, and to enter their scholarly ranks. The faculty also requires the
dissertation because they take seriously the mission of generating and
disseminating new knowledge, and the dissertation is simply a widely accepted
from for such dissemination.
 As the study deals with the descriptive style so w.r.t. inquiry it relates with
qualitative research. The main limitation is that there is lack of abundance of
knowledge and preliminary work. According to the topic we were bound to limit
our self to only women by excluding children and poor men. We were limit by the
area of Lahore besides knowing an abundance of primary data from outskirts but
due to shortage of time and financial constraints we exclude it. We were limited
to explore the effect on social, economical and psychological reason by focus
group discussion by the help of Urdu narrated questions.
 Through the study was FGD so we cannot assume the hypothesis to test the
generalizability of the statement. We can not examine all types of workers and
included which were convenient. We were having limited time span and financial
resources and limited group members to disperse in all slum areas of Lahore.
1.09.9: Delimitation
We chosen the Eastern Area i.e. Kot Lakhhpat and Western Area i.e. Shahadra for
the sample and for secondary data support we got assistance from Women Worker Help

26
Line and other renowned NGOs. We can not get through all the working types of women
but got data of prevailing activities by excluding the wage rate and self satisfaction level.
Infact, the behavior of middleman is quite exploitative and they are usually a cause of
sexual harassment but these factors are having little presence. The results are just the
aftermaths of FGD and the use of case study method is to make strengthen our problem
statement. Due to lack of literacy we were unable to develop questionnaire in English but
we rendered results into English. Due to descriptive research we were bound to use
Qualitative techniques to discover the cause and effect (co relational study) without being
quantifying it.
We used the several approaches which are adaptable for descriptive investigation of
managerial questions:
1. In depth interviewing which are usually conversational rather than structured with
Women Worker Help Line.
2. Films, photography and video types to capture the life of the group under study.
3. Case studies for an in depth contextual analysis of a few events or conditions.
4. Street ethnography to discover how a cultural sub group describes and structures
its world at the street levels.
5. Elite or expert interviewing for information from influential or well informed
people in an organization in community.
6. Experienced surveys.
7. Focus group method but including volunteers who helped us in our research
design. We excluded telephone focus group and on line focus groups in this
regard.

27
8. Double Sequential or Multi phase Sampling:
It is the process includes collecting data from a sample using a previously defined
technique. Based on the information found, a sub sample is selected for further study.
It may reduce cost if first stage results in enough data to stratify or cluster the
population.
The stratified sampling divides the population into subpopulations or strata and
uses simple random on each strata. Results may be weighted or combined. In it we
controlled sample size in strata and it increased statistical efficiency. It also enables
us to use different methods in strata. The purposive sampling is a non probability
sampling which conforms to certain criteria by two types:
 Judgment Sampling.
 Quota sampling.

28
Chapter 02
Review of the literature
2.01: Women & Economy:
Rural women through Asia and the pacific region make critical contribution to
household production and consequently to household and national food security.
Although, the specific nature of their contribution varies among the various Asian and
pacific countries. Clearly the majority of rural women take on an increasing share of
home hold labor and their lives are characterized by mouthing drudgery. Various studies
produced in different countries in the region provide important findings on gender roles
to guide policies and programmed interventions that will improve the productivity of
rural home holds. The lack of a systematic synthesis of the findings hinders efforts to
build a realistic scenario of rural women’s roles in home hold food security. However, a
general pattern of gender roles emerges from these studies indicating that both rural men
and rural women in Asia at the pacific contribute to farm at home production. Gender
roles vary within and between countries determined by agro-ecological systems and crops
grow, farming systems adopted, linkages with livestock and fish production and
opportunities for off-form occupations in the rural economy (FAO, 2009).
An increasing number of women have joined the formal, semi-formal and
informal sectors. However, their entry has been due to economic pressure caused by high
rates of inflation and displacement of labor and labor opportunities. Planned policies have
been incidental to women’s entry, rather than directly promoting their access to
economic resources. No legislative measures have been taken to strengthen the rights of
women in either the agricultural or formal and Semi-formal sectors where women’s labor
is neither acknowledged nor given any legal cover. Collection bargaining mechanisms are
only, available for permanently employed person in the formal sector, thus excluding the
vast majority of women workers who are either employs in agricultural activities or in the
semi-formal and formal sectors. Though it would appear that the number of women in the
informal and semi-formal sectors is increasing the lack of documentation make an
assessment difficult (NGO coordinating commit tic, 2000). A report by the Mehbook-ul-

29
Haq development centre, released early in the year 2004, indicated that women in the
region face immense discrimination in employment opportunities, wages, working
conditions and occupational status. It stated Pakistan had the lowest participation of
women in the labor fore and employment as compared to other South Asian countries.
According to the key indicators showing women’s status in Pakistan & South Asia,
women in Pakistan have far worse economic and social status not just compared to men
in the country, but also compared to women in the rest South Asia. Something that is
more cumbersome is the fact that in terms of the gender related development index
(GDI), things are getting for worse. In 2004, the GDI for Pakistan was 0.472, which felt
to 0.468 in 2008. At the same time far South Asia as a whole the GDI which measures
similar to the Human development index (HDI) except that it adjusts the HDI for gender
equality in life expectancy, educational attainment and income has improved, this shows
that while the social and economic position of women in Pakistan has weakened and that
Pakistan women is being left for behind the other women of South Asia. Women are not
just the building blocks of the family together with that they are the building blocks of
society as well as economy. They are responsible for the families in household budget.
They also bear most of the responsibilities of the child growing. They are more sensitive
to social issues like education and in health. So in any country existence of women who
are depraved from their rights mean continuation of backward nation. Women’s roles
beyond their traditionally accepted are house hold activities have always met with
resistance and will continue for the sometimes to come. Social taboos of all sorts further
sanctify this condition, which in fact are guises to keep the women tied to their sub
servant roles within the privacy of the household. These attitudes cast their impact on the
social and economic status of women in Pakistan. In addition, there is a striking
difference between the situation of rural and urban women. Consequently, waste of
human resources in Pakistan is more evident among women (Abbasi, 2008).
2.02: Poverty Issues
The fight against poverty represents the greatest challenge of our times.
Considerable progress has nevertheless been made in different parts of the world in
reducing poverty. The proportion of people living in extreme poverty on global level fell

30
from 28 percent in 2004 to 21 percent in 2008 (on the basic of 1$ a day). In absolute
numbers the reduction during the period was 130 million with most of it coming from
China. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the absolute number of poor actually increased by 100
million during the period. The Central and Eastern Europe witnessed a dramatic increase
in poverty. While incidence of poverty decline in South Asia, Latin America and the
Middle East witnessed no change.
The recent trends in global and regional poverty clearly suggest one thing and that
is, that rapid economic growth over a prolonged period is essential for poverty reduction.
At the macro-level economic growth implies greater availability of public resources to
improve the quantity and quality of education, health and other services. At the micro-
level, economic growth creates employment opportunities, increases the income of the
people and therefore reduces poverty. Many developing counties have succeeded in
boosting growth for a short period. But only that have achieved higher economic growth
over a long period have seen lasting reduction in poverty. One thing is also clear from the
evidence of East Asia and China that growth does not come automatically. It requires
policies that promote growth. Macro-economic stability is therefore, key to a sustained
high economic growth. Although extreme poverty on global level has declined, the gap
between the rich and poor countries are increasing ever when developing countries are
growing at a faster pace than developed ones-perhaps due to the large income gaps at the
initial level. In a world of six billion people where we live, two billion people will be
added in the next 25 years. In the year 2025, seven out of the eight billion people will be
living in developing countries. This issue of global imbalance is at the core of the
challenge to scale up poverty reduction.
In Pakistan, the government in 2001 in response to the rising trend in poverty during
1990s launched poverty reduction strategy. It consisted of the following five elements:
a) Accelerating economic growth and maintaining Marco economic stability;
b) Investing in human capital;
c) Augmenting targeted intervention;

31
d) Expanding social safety nets and
e) Improving governance.
The reduction in poverty and improvement in social indicators and living condition of
the society are being monitored frequently through large scale household surveys in order
to gauge their progress in meeting the targets set by Pakistan for achieving the seven UN
Millennium Development Goals also by 2015. Among them the most important is having
the population living below the poverty line from 26% in 2000 to 13% by 2025. These
are the improvement in household social indicators and living conditions at the national
level during 2001-05. Based on information from 76520 household is documented in last
year Economic Survey. Preliminary findings of Pakistan social and living standards
measurement survey (PSLM, 2004-05) on poverty statuses were released in end February
this fiscal year. Pakistan’s growth performance over the last four years is enviable in
many respects. The real GDP has grown at an average rate of 7.5 percent per annum
during the last three years (2003/4 to 2005/06). With population growing at an average
rate of 1.9 percent per annum the real per capita income has grown at an average rate of
5.6 percent per annum (Government of Pakistan, 2006-06).
2.03: Male and female in the formal and informal sector of the Economy
In Pakistan’s economy women play an active role. But their contribution has been
grossly under reported in various censuses and surveys. Consequently, official labor face
statistics show a very minimal participation of women. for example, the 2004-06. Labor
fore Survey revealed that only about 18% of women aged 10 years and over were in the
labor faced in comparison, the men’s participation rate was 84%. On the contrary, the
1997 agricultural census showed that women’s participation rate in agriculture was 73%
at that women accounts for 25% of all time and 75% of all part time workers in
agriculture household. Also, 2004-06 Pakistan Integrated Household Survey indicated
that the female labor farce participation rate was 45% in rural areas and 17% in the urban
areas. Thus it is clear that if women’s contribution to economic production is assessed
accurately, a conservative estimate of women’s labor face participation world be between
30% to 40% (ESCAPE; 2007). According to the 2005-07 labor face survey, agricultural

32
and allied industries absorb the largest proportion of employed person, both women and
men, particularly in the rural areas. However the proportion of the person engaged in the
agricultural sector is higher among rural women (79.4%) as compared to rural to rural
men (60.8%). The Human Development Index (HDI) rank of Pakistan is 119th of 148
countries indicating low life expectancy at birth, low educational attainment and low
income. It demonstrates that Pakistan is faced with a difficult task in human resources
development (UNDP, 2007).
2.04: Women in the informal sector
Women in the informal sector contribute both, to the household and to the
national economy, but remain unrecognized and unacknowledged in official Censuses
and Statistics. Consequently, they are invisible to policy makers and most of the
information about them is provided by micro-level studies with their limitation.
Never the studies are indicative of the fairly extensive scope of the phenomenon
and its salient features. For instance, a study of low-income neighborhood in Lahore
revealed survey in 1981, 40 different all distinct takes were identified that whereas
official statistics showed 3% of the female population as being engaged in paid economic
activity, these were three time as many home based workers involved in production
activity on piece-rate basic. (Shaheed & Mumtaz, 1981).
The informal sector is characterized by low education and skills, lack of capital
resources, lower incomes and a high degree of segregation. Women’s participation,
constrained by seclusion norms, suffers further from lack of information about complex
market forces and reliance upon contractors and “middle-persons”. The latter benefit
from undue advantages like minimal overheads, a captive pool of labor force that is
unaware of market rats and is dependent entirely upon them for work, no investments in
machinery or tools (women themselves are responsible for buying clippers, scissors,
thread and any other working tools), have no trade unions to contend with(as women
work isolated in their homes), and are therefore able to exploit women’s labor. The
women find themselves more vulnerable and disadvantaged than men but along with their

33
male counterparts remain outside the ambit of protective rules and legislation e.g.
minimum wage laws, job security, maternity benefits, health care, etc.
2.05: Definition of home hold worker
The convection of ILO is important for home workers it brings them recognition
at an international level. It sets minimum standards for pay and condition, which can be
translated into national policies and laws. Together with the recommendation, it has many
provisions which go beyond legal protection and can act as a starting point for the
organization of millions of previously unorganized home workers.
“Homework as work carried out by a person (home worker) for remuneration in
his or her home or in other premises of his or her choice, other than the workplace of the
employers.”
The majority of the women in the informal sector are home based workers.
According to micro-level studies home based workers constitute 77% to 83% of
employed women in the informal sector (Shaheed& Mumtaz, 1981).
The World Bank estimates that approximately 1.5 million women are home-based
workers with about half (750,000) working as piece rate workers and the other half as
micro-entrepreneurs. In fact, the World Bank access home-based work as the most
important source of women’s employment after agriculture. The advantage of home-
based work for women, of course, is that they can choose the time for doing the work and
combine it with their other household duties, and significantly, manage to circumvent the
restrictions on their mobility and undertaking of paid work.
2.06: Types of Home BasedWorkers
2.06.1: Piece rate worker
Women doing piece-rate work are usually provided the raw material to produce
consumer items, which are then paid for on the basic of pieces produced at a contracted
rate. Usually the delivery of raw material and the collection of the finished product are
done by a middle-person. In rare cases a women may take work directly from a shop or a

34
manufacturer, or a male from the family may collect and deliver on behalf of the woman.
Most of the piece-rate workers are in manufacturing and perform a wide range of tasks in
the production of a variety of goods. In the Lahore neighborhood surveyed in 1981, 40
different and distinct takes were identified. A study of Karachi law-income areas revealed
that women participate in the production of 300 different items on piece-rate basic from
stringing “tasbihs”(prayer beads) to making paper bags, ear-rings, soldering radio sets,
making tinsel garlands for festive occasions, sewing caps and clothes, the range of
activities in indeed vast. A large number of women are also linked to the food processing
industry: selling peanuts, peeling fruit and vegetables, cleaning and grinding spices etc.
These women are paid by units of weight and supplied the material by contractors or
small entrepreneurs often living in the same locality.
While the obvious advantage to the women is that they get the opportunity of
doing paid work at home, the disadvantage is that the work is often very tedious and time
consuming, and the ratio of labor and time input to income earned is highly inequitable. It
was found in Kot Lakhpat that the majority (88.7%) of the women worked more than 20
days a month with about50% working for over 6 hours a day but their earnings were low
Rs.5 a day (Shaheed & Mumtaz, 1981: 38-39). More recent findings show that women
stitching copy books in Rawalpindi earn only Rs.3.00-20 per day household amounting to
a have above one percent of the product’s price in the market. Peanut, sellers in the same
city reserves Rs7.00 for every 5 kg of peanuts shelled and are penalized if the peanuts are
not completely clean (Shaheed Mumtaz 1981).
2.06.2: Own-account workers:
Those who do their own marketing, and it is important to distinguish between
them, both conceptually and statistically. While all those who carry out market work at
home or in adjacent grounds or premises, whether as self-employed or as paid workers,
are home workers of the piece-rate variety; those home-based workers who carry out paid
work for firms/businesses or their intermediaries, typically on a piece-rate basis,
constitute piece-rate workers.

35
2.07: Types of home-based works
The other members of the family including children share a large part of the work
done by the piece-rate worker especially if it involves tasks like:
 Stringing tasbihs
 Shelling Peanuts
 Pasting envelope
 Embroidery
 Knitting
 Sewing
 Carpets weaving
 Football stitching
 Weaving cloth
 Ear-ring beads
 Pottery
 Stings badminton
 Jeweler making
The work may be limited to the worker herself or women of the family. Young girls
have to bear greater responsibility of housework and care of younger siblings as mother
get busy with the piece-rate work. Often daughters are kept away from school to relieve
the mothers from home hold chores so that the latter can do contractual piece-rate work
(home net, 2005).

36
2.08: Work related issues
Home based working women belong to the large families, where almost all family
members work and contribute to home hold income. Hence most start work from the age
of 10-12 years, and are illiterate, unskilled or semi-skilled, burdened with home hold
chores and family responsibilities as well. They generally perform multiple production
activities at one time to ensure regularity of income. They face health problem due to
poor working conditions and poor diet, lack mobility access to information and asset and
they heavily disadvantaged in reaching out to market for the sale of their products.
Since the work of most of these workers requires little or no skill, it is easy for
them to get piece rate work, but they can lose it just an easily, especially if they protest
against the rates of wages, the irregularity of work, a delay in the payment of wages.
With such high poverty levels, they are grateful for what they can get, even if it is
“seasonal work”, or work that disappears with the season. Despite the miserable
conditions of work and pitiful wages. When asked what they want, ask for “more work”.
Thousands of women in Pakistan work long hours in cramped, ill-lit and badly
ventilated dwelling and earn a mere pittance. They sew pre-cut shalwars and get Rs1 or
Rs2 each; embroider a dupatta and Kameez set for two weeks and are paid Rs150 for it.
They earn only Rs1 for filling tamarined in a dozen cellophane packets and make Rs6 for
filling 1000 match boxes. They string a dozen badminton rockets and earn between Rs6
and Rs10. Stitch grade A football for Rs18 each though only last year they could get
Rs34 for each (Home net, 2008)
To promote decent work opportunities for home-based workers a Baseline Survey
with the target group based on group homogeneity, vulnerability / disadvantaged,
women-focused and other special needs has been conducted at Kasur during 2009 by
HomeNet Pakistan, a national network of organisations working for home-based workers,
that reveals the following Challenges and Treats to Women Home-based Workers:

37
2.08.1: Production Challenges:
* Lack of modern tools and equipment
* Dependency on middle man for raw material and sale of finished products
* Lack of access to mechanisms and micro credit schemes
* Seasonal and irregular work
* Load shedding of electricity
* High cost of utility items and electricity use
2.08.2: Marketing Challenges:
* Lack of access to information
* No written contracts
* Low wages
* Long hours of work
2.08.3: Health Challenges:
* Unhygienic working conditions, use of harmful chemicals and risky equipments, being
used by the workers
* Issues of sanitation

38
* Poor diet
* Lack of health facilities, social protection, social security and insurance
In brief, the home based workers due to the present country scenario are the most
vulnerable sector of the informal sector. Informal wage workers face loss of jobs or
further in formalisation of their contracts. The informal self-employed and HBWs face
decreased demand, falling prices, and fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates, and
prices. The informal workforce, as a whole, faces increased competition from the new
entrants into the informal economy and has no cushion to fall back on.
Issues of Home BasedWorkers
The key problems faced by Homebased workers are characteristically as follows:-
1) Invisibility: Invisible to policymakers and to the general public, as well as to the final
consumers of goods and services they provide.
2) Lack of voice.
3) Lack Collective bargaining skills
4) Low and/or irregular incomes.
5 Lack of social security not being covered under most of the social protection schemes.
6) Low productivity and poor technology
7) Lack of capital to make improvements in tools, technologies, raw materials, storage
areas, and other livelihood-related necessities.
8) Lack of sufficient resources for health, safety, security and other needs that allow
Homebased workers to pursue their economic activities.
9) Inadequate housing and habitat (environmental) conditions:- work from home in poor,
cramped spaces with bad lighting and ventilation.

39
10) Many Homebased workers are overworked and are exposed to dangerous chemicals
and unhealthy and even toxic substances. Family members, including children, are also
exposed to these occupational hazards, thus they lack occupational health and safety
11) Homebased workers – especially women workers -- have little access to education
and skills, including the information and skills needed to sell their own products in the
market.
All these problems help create conditions that allow the exploitation of
Homebased workers by middlemen and contractors. It is important to reverse these
contributing factors to enable Homebased workers to avoid exploitation, and become
empowered and take charge of their own futures.
2.09: Government policies
2.09.1: Existing laws:
Home workers remain outside the scope of any protective legislation. Existing
laws affects women workers mostly in the organized sector in industry and services. In
the Eighth five year plan (1993-97), women home workers are briefly mentioned and
supportive policies are considered. Below is an overview of important labor laws
affecting women:
‘The Factories Act 1934’ regulates the maximum working hours to no more than
ten hours, provides for a compulsory weekly holiday, but is also discriminatory and
pushes back the opportunities of employment for women by excluding them from
lucrative over time.
‘The West Pakistan Maternity Benefits Ordinance 1958’ is a significant labor law
for women, who extend to the whole of Pakistan, but relates only to employment of
women in factories and so excludes a large segment of women workers.
‘The Employee’s Old Age Benefits Act 1976’ entitles an insured woman on
whose benefit contribution is paid, to receive equal benefits. However discrimination

40
exists in the application of the law and where women and voiceless generally fail to take
action to obtain their right.
The five year plans encourage the provision of services to women worker, skill
training and credit, improvement of their working conditions and recognize women’s
important contribution to the economy, but fail to specify how these targets will be
implemented.
2.09.2: Summary of Government Plans:
The following is a summary of the five year plans in relation to women workers:
a) The fourth five year plan 1970-75.
Proposes the promotion of employment of women and consider the provision of
special social services such as day care nurseries for children of working mothers.
b) The fifth year plans 1978-83:
It suggests the very low level of women’s participation in the labor force.
c) The sixth five year plan 1983-88:
Propose to expand opportunities for women’s employment in small-scale
industries, in both rural and urban areas, through training, suggests expanding the
numbers and skills taught in technical training institutions and it introduces the
need for working women’s hostels.
d) The seventhfive year plan 1988-83 and perspective plan 1988-2003:
It recognizes the need to change attitudes towards women and to acknowledge
their considerable existing contribution. It proposes steps to encourage self-
employment for women through credit scheme and expanding training
opportunities. It also Suggest separate women’s wings in employment exchanges.

41
e) The Eight five year plan 1993-98
It proposes expanding social service (like primary education, basic health,
nutrition and sanitation) particularly in rural areas. Emphasizes need to initiate
programs of skill training and employment of women. For the first time the plan
addresses the needs of the informal sector, it encourage a trade and location
specific credit policy linked with intensive training promotion of home based
women activates. It places heavy reliance on the informal sector for employment
generation and promotes skill development for trainees through small workshops
which would be helped by providing them soft loans, import duty exemption and
face tool kits (Haider Tabir, 2002).
2.10: Draft of National Policy on Home BasedWomen Workers:
2.10.1: INTRODUCTION
The National Policy on Home-based Workers, framed by the Government of
Pakistan, is intended to guide and support the Provincial and Local Governments of
Punjab, Sindh, North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Balochistan, Azad Jummu and
Kashmir and the Northern Areas, in developing their own strategies, plans and
programmes for the protection and promotion of the rights and benefits of home-based
workers, particularly women home-based workers.
This Policy is the result of several stakeholder consultation meetings held at the
provincial and national level with Home Based workers, in addition to several working
group meetings of experts representing the federal, provincial and local governments and
representatives of civil society organizations and networks working for the cause and
welfare of home-based workers in Pakistan.
The Government recognizes its obligations under the Constitution and believes
that the National Policy on Home-based Workers is inspired by the vision of an
egalitarian society, which is free of exploitation and coercion, and where all citizens are
equal before law and enjoy equal rights to lead their lives with dignity and self-respect.

42
The Government recognizes that there 8.52 million home based workers in the
country. The proportion of women workers in the home-based based sector is 65% in
contrast to only 4% of all male workers who are home-based workers. These home based
workers contribute to the country’s economic growth. Pakistan accounts 80% of the
world’s match-grade footballs and earns nearly $50 million in foreign exchange from this
industry alone.
Most of these women home-based workers, who represent 60% of women
workforce in the country, are piece rate workers involved in manufacturing and post-
manufacturing tasks such as embroidery, carpet weaving and handlooms, wood work and
other handicrafts, bangle making, dates cleaning and packing prawn peeling and packing
and many other similar tasks.
The women home-based workers usually come from the poor, lower or lower
middle income background and form various age groups and possess very little or no
education at all. Young girls of age 6 to 14 are working and helping their mothers in
making and finishing the tasks assigned to them by the middleman against extremely low
remuneration while working 12-16 hours daily under conditions that are frequently harsh,
unhealthy, and hazardous.
The Government of Pakistan, however, realizes that currently the workers in the
informal economy as well as in the home-based sector are not covered by any labour
rights /labour standard legislation nor the definition of the “home-based worker” is part
of any statute. Therefore, terms of working conditions of the home-based workers are not
regulated by any law or regulation. Labour protection, social security coverage and
provision of safety and health services and benefits are not extended to the informal
sector, including the home-based sector. Therefore, they are unable to access the services,
facilities, rights and benefits, including a fair remuneration under national laws.
The Government of Pakistan has endeavoured to lay down a policy framework on
the key elements relating to legislative and administrative measures necessary to ensure
the fulfilment of rights and benefits of home-based workers, the responsibilities of the

43
Federal, Provincial and Local Governments and other key stakeholders, within the ambit
of guiding principles and core objectives of this Policy.
The National Policy on Home-based Workers has also provided an outline of
institutional mechanisms for the implementation of measures to be undertaken for the
welfare of home-based workers, which will be elaborated in more detail and specificity
through the formulation of Action Plans, to be prepared by the provinces. The Policy has
earmarked a key role for the Local Governments in the implementation of the Policy.
The Government, in accordance with its Constitutional obligations and
international commitments, hereby reiterates its commitment to addressing the concerns
of Home-Based Workers (HBWs) on a priority basis, immediately within the resources at
its disposal, and subsequently through further resource mobilization, in a collaborative,
consultative and coordinated manner.
The Government would like to pursue the objectives of this Policy within the
regional framework of SAARC and while recognizing that the South Asian region is a
key area for organizing home based-workers due to their high numbers and numerous
constraints. Therefore, a number of associations and networks working for the cause of
the home-based workers, particularly women home-based workers, exist in this region,
including Pakistan. The Government would like to reiterate its willingness to working
with them to protect and promote the rights of home-based workers.
The Government is cognizant of the fact that the ILO has been providing
technical assistance to Pakistan in various fields of its competence and concern such as
implementation of international labour standards through national law development, and
other policy measures in addition to women workers’ rights, equality and non-
discrimination at the workplace, elimination of child labour and prevention and
elimination of bonded labour etc. The Government would like to continue and strengthen
this relationship with ILO and other relevant regional and international organizations and
bodies of the United Nations, such as UNIFEM.

44
There have also been several policy initiatives such as development of Labour
Policies 2002, 2006 and 2007 under successive governments; and a number of
institutions were established and put into operation in Pakistan to provide vocational
training to women throughout the country. The successive governments also established
several national institutes for labour management and administration to improve the
working conditions of the working people of Pakistan. The government would like to
further strengthen these policies and institution with the intent to extend their mandate
and scope to the home-based workers.
The Government, while cognizant of the harsh and painful realities faced by the
home-based workers, particularly by the women home-based workers, due to the high and
increasing levels of poverty and food insecurity, believes that a cautious and phased
approach is required to the elimination of home-based girl-child labour through
consistent efforts in collaboration with other ongoing programmes and initiatives to end
the worst forms of child labour, exploitation and bonded labour.
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to bring the laws and regulations
concerning home-based workers in Pakistan into conformity with the common standards
and principles developed by international human rights treaties and ILO Conventions;
and ratify the ILO Convention on Home Work, C 177, along with the adoption of ILO –
R-198 Recommendation on the Employment Relationship (2006), which prescribe the
‘definition of home-based worker’ and call for equal treatment with home-based workers
in relation to other wage earners performing the similar work.
2.10.2: GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Government recognizes its Constitutional obligations and believes that the
National Policy on Home-based Workers will be inspired and guided by the principles as
enshrined in the following Articles of the Constitution of Pakistan:
1. Equality and non-discrimination:
� All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law [Article
25 (1)]

45
� There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone [Article 25 (2)]
2. Elimination of exploitation:
� The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual
fulfilment of the fundamental principle, from each according to his ability to each
according to his work (Article 3)
3. Empowerment of women:
~ Steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of national life
[Article 34]
� Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for
the protection of women and children [Article 25 (3)]
� The State shall make provisions for just and humane conditions of work, … and for
maternity benefits for women in employment [Article 37 (e)]
4. Social and economic well-being of the people:
The State shall provide for all citizens, within the available resources of the country,
facilities for work and adequate livelihood with reasonable rest and leisure [Article 39
(b)]
� The State shall provide basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing,
education and medical relief, for all such citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, religion
,creed or race, as are permanently or temporarily unable to earn their livelihood on
account of infirmity, sickness, or unemployment [Article 39 (d)]
� The State shall promote, with special care, the educational and economic interests of
backward classes or areas [Article 37 (a)]

46
5. Freedom of association:
~ Every citizen shall have the right to form associations or unions, subject to any
reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of sovereignty or integrity of
Pakistan, public order or morality [Article 17]
The Government shall also endeavour to fulfil its binding international commitments
arising from the State’s ratification of the International Covenant on Social, Economic
and Cultural Rights (ICSECR), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Child Rights Convention (CRC), the and
the relevant ILO Conventions, such as C100 and C111.
2.10.3: MAIN OBJECTIVES
The Government will take steps to ensure /guarantee to attain the following
objectives within the broad parameters of the National Policy on Home-based Workers,
through legislative and administrative actions in cooperation and coordination with the
Home-based Workers themselves, and the various other stakeholders in the public,
private and non-governmental sectors, in pursuance of its fundamental responsibility to
reach out to and address the concerns of this most exploited segment of Pakistani society.
The main objectives of the National Policy on Home-based Workers are:
� To recognize and accept Home-based Workers as workers in their own right
through legislative and administrative actions;
� To accord legal equality to Home-based Workers in status and rights in relation
to other wage earners performing the similar work;
� To focus on the needs, concerns and demands of Women Home-based Workers
through an institutional approach of gender mainstreaming at all levels;
� To increase the remuneration of Home-based Workers to a just, decent and living
wage in phases and in consideration of the inflationary trends in the country;

47
� To make the work of Home-based Workers economically viable by creating,
facilitating and regulating the marketing opportunities of their products;
� To ensure the application of all rights and entitlements to Home-based Workers
available to other wage earners performing similar work, including
comprehensive social protection, as well as safe and fair conditions of work for
them.
� To provide Home-based Workers visibility and the opportunity for an organized
voice to articulate their concerns and demands through registration as collective
bargaining agent on behalf of co-workers
� To work in collaboration with Provincial and Local Governments to implement
the aims and objectives of the Policy in a participatory, transparent and
accountable manner;
� To work in close collaboration with all stakeholders, including representatives of
the HBWs, non-government and community-based organizations, the trade
unions, local and national networks of NGOs in pursuance of the objectives of
this National Policy;
� To bring into conformity the laws and regulations relating to Home-based
Workers with the international treaties to which Pakistan is a State Party; and to
undertake measures for ratification of the ILO Convention on Home Work (C
177).
2.10.4: KEY POLICY MEASURES
The National Policy for Home-based Workers with the focus on women home-
based workers will be based on the following key policy measures:
1. Definition and Equality of Legal Status
2. Equality of Treatment and Wages

48
3. Skills Training Enhancement
4. Access to Credit, Land Ownership and Assets
5. Access to Marketing Channels and Linkages
The Federal, Provincial and Local Governments shall ensure, in collaboration
with other concerned stakeholders, to provide HBWs an equality of legal status, a fair
arrangement of terms and conditions at workplace with just reward of work in terms of
remuneration, in addition to building their skills and creating and facilitating their access
to credit schemes and market outlets.
1. Definition and Equality of Legal Status:
The Federal and Provincial Governments shall take appropriate legislative and
administrative action to accord equality of legal status to Home-based Workers in relation
to other wage earners, who perform similar work to ensure a decent living wage; and
define through enactment or notification the following definitions in relevant laws and
regulations:
The Government of Pakistan shall recognize that Home-based Workers are a
special category of workers; and that Home-based Worker is:
A person who works within the home boundaries, or in any other premises of his/her
choice, but excluding the premises of the employer’s or contractor’s workplace; a person
who works at home for remuneration or monetary returns;
A person who is self-employed or does piece-rate, own-account, or contract work, which
results in a product or services as specified by the employer/contractor.
Explanation:
i) The above-said definition of Home-based Worker does not include:

49
A person with employee status who occasionally performs his/her employee work
at home, rather than at his/her usual workplace;
A home-based worker who has the degree of autonomy and of the economic
independence necessary to be considered an independent self-employed worker under
national laws, regulations or court decisions;
A domestic worker, since he/she does not work in his/her own home;
A person working, outside his/her home boundaries, in the rural or non-formal
sectors of agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries, etc., since he/she is still termed as
“unpaid agricultural family helper”.
ii) The Government shall enact and notify the following term of the ‘employer’ in the
specific context of home-based work in relevant laws and regulations; and that
the employer in this context is:
(a) A person, natural or legal, who either directly or through an intermediary/ies
or “middleperson/s” – whether or not intermediaries are provided for in
national legislation, gives out home-based work in pursuance of her/his
business activity;
(b) A person who can be an owner, sub-contractor, agent or middleperson,
irrespective of who provides the materials, equipment or other inputs used by
a home-based worker.
2. Equality of Treatment and Wages:
The Federal and Provincial Governments shall take steps through appropriate
legislation and administrative measures to ensure that HBWs are provided equality of
treatment, in all areas of work and remuneration, with other wage earners who perform
similar work at the workplace.
The governments and concerned institutions and individual, including employers,
shall take appropriate measures to ensure that home-based workers earn a decent living
wage and:

50
(a) That all rules and regulations, common standards and entitlements available to
all wage earners performing work similar to home-based workers, under
existing national laws and regulations, shall be applicable to HBWs;
(b) That HBWs are not forced to work disproportionately longer hours than all
wage earners performing work similar to home-based workers;
(c) That employers and sub-contractors (“middlepersons”) shall utilize the
services of HBWs only with prior written contracts, just the same as for
employees working at the workplace, with comparable remuneration, terms
and conditions;
(d) That the minimum wage of the HBWs is brought at par with the minimum
wage of all wage earners performing work similar to home-based workers in
three phases: firstly, by immediately rectifying their current remuneration
which is around three times less than the minimum wage of other similar
wage earners; and thus, facilitating to increase the minimum wage for the
home-base workers to a subsistence level; secondly, in the next phase, the
Government shall work in a quadripartite manner, to ensure a decent and
living wage for HBWs taking into consideration the current inflationary trends
and; in the third and final phase, the Government and employers shall work
together to ensure a fair wage, to enable the HBWs to improve their family’s
nutrition, health and education status, as well as to upgrade their homes,
which are their workplaces, in order to make them more hygienic, safe and
comfortable.
3. Skills Training Enhancement:
The Federal, Provincial and Local Governments will ensure in collaboration with
other concerned stakeholders that skills training enhancement initiatives for home-based
workers are undertaken on an outreach basis to their villages and urban slum settlements
to address the constraints of mobility and poverty and the triple burden of work in the
context of women home- based workers. The tendency to forcibly bring HBWs to
designated working centres in urban or peri-urban areas will be discouraged.

51
The traditional skills, wishes and needs of the Home-based Women Workers shall be kept
paramount in all skills training programmes. The two main objectives shall be:
(i) to upgrade the capacity of Home-based Women Workers with skill
upgradation,
improved designs, consistent quality control, product innovation and
development, and;
(ii) to revive the traditional handicrafts heritage and the desire to revive and
sustain dying
arts and crafts as a means of livelihood.
4. Access to Credit, Land Ownership and Assets:
The Federal and Provincial Governments shall further endeavour to see that
HBWs, particularly the Home-based Women Workers, gain easy access to comparatively
cheaper credit through several ongoing programmes in the public, private and NGO
sectors, e.g. by using group guarantees, revolving funds, cooperative initiatives, profit
and loss sharing and other innovative mechanisms.
The Federal and Provincial Governments shall endeavour to link and coordinate the
uplift drive for HBWs, particularly for the Home-based Women Workers, with the
poverty reduction and gender mainstreaming strategies at the macro-economic level,
through:
(a) the transfer and creation of permanent assets, especially women’s ownership of
land, through joint spousal title deeds of state-distributed lands to e.g. small
farmers/tenant farmers and;
(b) the reform and enforcement of inheritance law to ensure that women receive
their due share, and affirmative measures result in their economic well-being.

52
5. Access to Marketing Channels and Linkages:
The Federal, Provincial and Local Government, in collaboration with concerned
institutions and agencies, shall lay particular emphasis in streamlining the issues of easy
access to markets for the products of the HBWs as they are mainly deprived of the fruit of
their labour in this area through the malpractices of the ‘intermediaries’ and
‘middlepersons’.
The Governments shall work at three levels: (a) within the public sector line
agencies, e.g. the Ministry of Industries, Production & Special Initiatives, Ministry of
Trade & Commerce and Ministry of Social Welfare amongst others; (b) with the private-
for-profit sector industry, to ensure that HBWWs are provided access to marketing
channels, as well as the two-way linkages and networks required to avail them; and (c)
with national and international networks of HBWs, to directly and collectively promote
their own enterprises, thereby excluding the current unjust practice of intermediaries and
middlepersons cutting into their already too low remuneration.
The Governments shall promote the HBWs’ production of non-industrial
handicraft goods through purchase and utilization in public sector offices as affirmative
action (e.g. public sector office furniture, furnishings, fixtures, stationery items, official
awards, prizes and gifts).
2.10.5: RIGHTS & ENTITLEMENTS
The Home-based Workers will enjoy the core labour standards along with the
following rights and entitlements in addition to all rights and benefits available to other
wage earners performing the similar work, under the existing or any futuristic laws and
regulations:
1. Right of Association and Collective Bargaining:
The home-based workers shall have the right to organize, unionize, associate, and
bargain collectively, in addition to their fundamental rights to freedom of assembly,
freedom of speech and freedom of movement. Employers and intermediaries shall not be

53
permitted to intimidate or threaten them with loss of livelihoods or social security
benefits or sexual harassment or gender-based violence.
The associations or unions of the home-based workers shall have the right to join
the networks and umbrella organisation or the existing federations or trade unions of
other wage earners or workers to raise a collective voice for themselves The Government
shall encourage and facilitate such national networks to fulfil their role as coordinating
entities and to promote the registration and insurance procedures for them.
2. Health and Occupational Safety Standards at Workplace:
The Government, working with the national networks of HBWs, shall endeavour
to convince large, medium and small industry owners and business owners, employers
and their intermediaries/sub-contractors to ensure the home-based workers’ right to
health and occupational safety through the provision and use of protective clothing, such
as masks, gloves, goggles, and by minimizing occupational safety hazards of respiratory,
eye and skin diseases. Alternate practices should be introduced in hazardous sectors such
as bangles, carpet weaving and fisheries.
The Federal, Provincial and Local Governments shall endeavour to extend the
laws pertaining to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) for the formal labour to HBWs.
The Government shall also take steps to provide women home-based workers with basic
and reproductive health care, HI V/AIDS prevention care, VCT and mother and child
health care through the Employees Social Security Institutions’ and other available health
outlets. The women home-based workers shall be brought under the purview of any
existing or proposed legislation on sexual harassment at workplace and domestic violence
against women.
3. Social Security Benefits:
The Government shall strive to extend the social security benefits currently
applicable only to workers in the formal organized sector of employment to the home-

54
based workers through enactment or amendment in the laws relating to Employees Social
Security Institutions in the provinces.
The benefits under laws include (but are not limited to) the following: old-age
pension funds, workers welfare funds, general and reproductive health services for
workers and their families, maternity care, child care and education, death, disability and
accident insurance benefits, housing, legal counselling services, and last but not least,
support for disaster risk reduction, preparedness, mitigation, reconstruction and
rehabilitation. Insurance of HBWs against accident, disability and death shall also be the
mandatory responsibility of the employers.
4. Literacy, Basic and Adult Education:
The Government shall take a holistic view of the educational needs of HBWs,
particularly of women workers and girl child workers, and shall address them together.
Basic functional literacy and numeracy shall be introduced alongside the above-cited
skills training programmes for HBWs, through the collaboration of the Ministry of
Education.
The Government shall make efforts to persuade the mothers and fathers among
the HBWs to enrol their children and especially daughters in regular schools of the
Ministry of Education or non-formal education classes through the Ministry of Social
Welfare. The Federal and Provincial Governments shall undertake appropriate legislation
for the provision of, and access to, universal, compulsory and free education for the
children of HBWs.
5. Registration of Home-based Workers:
The Government shall devise a mechanism for the mandatory and free registration
of all HBWs, in all public and private sectors of the economy, especially industries,
through a tiered system at the Federal, Provincial, District, Tehsil/Taluka and Union
Council levels. The details of this mechanism will be formulated in consultation with all
the relevant federal line Ministries and provincial Departments, in order to avoid

55
duplication and to promote coordination. Registration will automatically entitle HBWs to
social protection and insurance provisions.
2.10.6: ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Gender-Disaggregated Data Collection and Research:
The Federal and Provincial Governments shall undertake appropriate measures to
include home-based workers in the decennial Population Censuses, annual Labour Force
Surveys, and all other national data collection exercises, which will be disaggregated by
gender and rural-urban location, especially all research on living standards and poverty
measurement. In addition, the data base will include provisions for documenting the
various paid work of HBWWs such as their contribution in agriculture, construction,
mining or brick kiln sectors.
The Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas in collaboration with Ministry
of Women’s Development will ensure that these measures are taken and institutionalized
within the Population Census Organization, Federal Bureau of Statistics, and other data
collection and research institutions. For the forthcoming Census 2009, it will be ensured
that a column on HBWs is added to the data enumeration form, as follows: “place of
work (f/m)”.
2. Ensuring Resources and Gender Budgeting:
The Government shall endeavour to see that all the measures enunciated in this
National Policy, as well as the subsequent legislative and administrative measures,
including data collection, registration and provision of social; security benefits or HBWs,
are carried out through budgeting, earmarking, allocation and timely disbursement of
funds through the Ministry of Finance. The Government shall also ensure that gender
audits are carried out annually, to ensure that gender budgeting is being implemented in
both letter and spirit.

56
The Government shall make efforts to mainstream and institutionalize these
activities in each of the respective Ministries/Departments and entities to promote
ownership and permanently institutionalized gender-responsive budgeting and auditing in
the public sector. This would preclude a wider ownership of HBWs’ issues in all the
respective Ministries/Departments and entities proposed to be involved in implementing
this Policy,
3. Mainstreaming in Policies & Poverty Reduction Initiatives:
The Government shall fulfil its fundamental responsibility to ensure
comprehensive Social Protection and Poverty Reduction measures for HBWs, who shall
be first in line for public sector poverty reduction initiatives and programmes, such as
food stamps, food-for-work, ration cards, and the like. It shall also mainstream and
integrate HBWs’ concerns in other relevant Policy documents. This shall be done through
revisiting and further engendering the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP-II) of the
Ministry of Finance, the Poverty Alleviation Strategy of the Planning Commission (PC),
along with the PC’s Medium-Term Development Framework (MTDF, 2005-10) and
Vision 2030 documents, along with the national Trade, Labour, Employment and Social
Welfare Policies, and thoroughly revamping the traditional Bait-ul-Maal and Zakat
administration systems for Social Protection, in line with the Government’s commitment
to achieving the MDGs and adherence to the provisions of the ICSECR, CRC and
CEDAW.
4. Regulating Equal and Fair Treatment in Private Sector:
The Federal, Provincial and Local Governments, as well as concerned institutions in
public and private sector, shall endeavour to convince industry and business owners,
employers and their intermediaries that from their own long-term self-interest
perspective, it is their inherent corporate social responsibility to:
(a) ensure and protect the rights and benefits of HBWs;
(b) enhance their traditional skills and upgrade their capacities for improved and
standardized quality products; and
(c) provide them decent wages and conducive working conditions.

57
5. Addressing HBWs’ Concerns at Regional and International Fora:
The Federal Government shall take steps to advocate the cause of HBWs at the
highest decision-making levels of the South-Asian region and at the United Nation
forums. At the South Asian regional level, the Government shall recognize the important
role of networks such as HomeNet South Asia, and shall take steps to address HBWs’
concerns at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit
platform for collective decision-making, e.g. the need for urgent ratification of C177 and
R198.
At the International level, the Government shall proactively work with the UN
agencies, especially the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and ILO, as well
as the other relevant international development agencies, to bring its labour and
employment policies and laws into conformity with those of the relevant international
instruments, and shall participate in experience-sharing and learning of best practices
pertaining to HBWs, for adaptation and utilization in our own national context.
6. Protecting HBWs from Demerits of Globalization:
The Government shall strive to facilitate retail platforms for the products of
HBWs throughout the SAARC region and shall strive to encourage its peer SAARC
Governments to collectively negotiate with the OECD countries for preferential or zero
tariffs on the South Asian HBWs’ products collectively in order to protect the
communities of home-based workers in each country from the demerits of the
globalization, which are resulting in further exploitation by reduction of wages,
flexibilization and feminization of labor, insecurity or termination of work due to cheaper
labour easily available elsewhere, and through high tariffs.
The Government shall also endeavour to undertake worldwide Trade Promotion
Initiatives specific to home-based products through the Ministry of Trade & Commerce,
the Export Promotion Bureau and through the Chambers of Commerce & Industry,

The effect of energy crisis on the working conditions of Home based Women Workers living in the backward areas of Lahore

The effect of energy crisis on the working conditions of Home based Women Workers living in the backward areas of Lahore

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