Karachi- 12 September 2024: In the health, education and agriculture sectors women and girls suffer the most brunt because of social, economic and political systems and structures being controlled by feudal and tribal lords who also control legislative assemblies and bureaucratic structures said Akram Ali Khaskheli, president Hari Welfare Association during the press conference at the Karachi press club.
Khaskheli lamented that due to the non-implementation of pro-peasant and rural workers laws, women in rural areas are being victimized in every sphere of life including social, economic and political injustice. In this regard, he added that the Sindh Bonded Labour System Abolition Act of 2015 has not been implemented; thus, every year, peasants approach the local courts to get their family members released from the custody of landlords. Khaskheli shared that from 2013 and 2023, a total of 12,116 bonded labourers were released in the agriculture sector from the custody of landlords which included 33 per cent of women; These women bear the true burden of debt bondage, enduring all forms of humiliation inflicted upon them by landlords and their family members; they are economically exploited, physically abused and politically deprived of their rights to get an education, right to vote and right to marry of their choice. The press statement said that under the Sindh Bonded Labor System Abolition Act, the district vigilance committees are formed but do not play any role in getting bonded labourers released/rescued from the custody of landlords and also do not help the already released peasants on the orders of the local courts.
Samina Khasakheli, Joint Secretary, Azad Hariani Labor Union, said that the Sindh government has set a minimum wage of 37,000 PKR per month, yet today, agricultural workers and women workers less than 10,000 PKR monthly while working 12 hours a day. The government has neglected this issue.
Samina said that women in Tharparkar, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Jacobabad, and Badin districts live in the worst conditions, almost without access to health and education services and facilities. Many participants shared that despite the promises made in the SWAWA, 2019, they are hardly given Rs5000 per month for their extensive work in the entire cultivation process, particularly in laborious activities like chilli picking, cotton picking, date-processing, banana and wheat cultivation. She added that the social and economic conditions of peasants and rural women in Sindh are extremely concerning. The recent devastation caused by the 2022 floods has exacerbated their difficulties. Due to the incompetence of both the Sindh and federal governments, many farmers’ and laborers’ homes have collapsed, and their livestock has perished in the floods. Additionally, the reconstruction of destroyed homes is proceeding slowly, leaving millions of farmers under the open sky.
Hasna Chand, President of Latif Hariani Labor Union, said that there are no robust plans for the economic recovery of agricultural and laboring women, leading to continued economic hardship, hunger, and poverty even in this modern era. Moreover, Sindh’s farming and labouring women are severely affected by nutritional deficiencies and health issues. Poor nutrition has deteriorated their health, causing an increase in anaemia and other nutrient deficiency-related diseases, especially among women and children. There is a need to provide nutritional support specifically for women and to ensure better healthcare services for the farming community.
Chandan Malhi from National Commission on Human Rights NCHR said that women rights situation in Sindh is critical, there is need to implement women rights laws as their rights can be protected.
Famida Riaz Journalist said that women in agriculture face multiple challenges, hence government should implement Women Agriculture workers Act 2019 without any further delay.
The press statement said that women registered under the Benazir Income Support Program face humiliation while queuing at centers and banks. Women should be empowered by facilitating to start of small business projects for farming and laboring women to enable their economic advancement.
There has been no significant progress in implementing the Sindh Tenancy Act 1950 regarding farmers’ rights. We call for the immediate enforcement of the Sindh Agricultural Women Act 2019, which was passed by the Sindh government. Permanent labor status should be granted to farming and laboring women, along with access to social security, health, education, and insurance services.
In 2021, the GoS amended the Sindh Water Management Ordinance (SWMO), 2002, to ensure women’s representation at all levels of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA). These initiatives aim to establish a participatory irrigation system that actively involves rural women in decision-making, marking a significant step towards gender-inclusive water management practices. However, the government has taken no serious steps to implement these amendments in the SWMO.
The Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013, prohibits the marriage of children under 18 years. However, a total of 1,013 cases of child marriages were reported in the media for the entire Pakistan from 2014 to 2022; among these, 645 cases (64%) were reported in Sindh. These are alarming statistics highlighting the severity of the issue and systemic challenges and gaps in safeguarding children’s rights in Sindh.
