LAHORE   -    Participants at a capacity building session have stressed highlighted the critical need for enacting a law as well as its effective implementation to uplift the status of women agricul­tural workers in Punjab.

The capacity building session was organized by AwazCDS-Paki­stan here yesterday aimed at em­powering women agricultural workers in Punjab through legis­lative support and advocacy.

In his introductory remarks, Chief Executive of AwazCDS-Pa­kistan, Zia ur Rehman, shared the objectives of the session, empha­sizing the importance of legisla­tive advocacy to ensure the rights and empowerment of women ag­ricultural workers in the province. 

A short documentary titled “Hands that Feed Us” was present­ed, highlighting the vital role of women in the agricultural sector and the challenges they face. 

In continuation to the challeng­es faced by women agricultural workers, Zia ur Rehman (CE-Awa­zCDS-Pakistan) talked about the New Labour Code 2024 that is re­cently introduced by the govern­ment, he shared that the Punjab Labour Code 2024 is a severe set­back for the rights of workers, par­ticularly for women agricultural workers who have long been mar­ginalized and underrepresented.

Although the code includes agri­cultural workers within its broad­er definition of ‘workers,’ it fails to address the unique challenges and vulnerabilities faced by this group. He also added this legislation was introduced without proper con­sultation, so they urge the gov­ernment to reconsider this code and to engage in meaningful dia­logue with all stakeholders to en­sure that any labour reforms gen­uinely protect and uplift the most vulnerable members of our work­force, particularly women in agri­culture.”

The discussion set the stage for an in-depth capacity-building ses­sion led by Zafar Ullah Khan, (for­mer Executive Director-PIPS) and a consultant with extensive expe­rience in pro-women legislation.

During the session, Zafar Ul­lah provided valuable insights into the existing pro-women laws in Punjab and what rights are al­ready provided within the consti­tution and shared alarming sta­tistics regarding the conditions of rural women in Pakistan.

He also presented a compelling case for the necessity of enact­ing specific legislation for wom­en agricultural workers in Punjab, drawing parallels with the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act of 2019. He did a dynamic engage­ment with the provincial MPAs. He urged them to think critically about their role in advocating for change.

These lawmakers expressed strong support for the proposed legislative initiatives and pledged to bring these discussions to the floor of the house. Their commit­ment to advocating for the rights of women agricultural workers marks a significant step forward in the pursuit of gender equality and social justice in Punjab.