JP1 on Agriculture, Rural Development and Poverty Reduction

JPC2 Decent Employment and Poverty Reduction: 

Under JPC2 Decent Employment and Poverty Reduction the main focus of activities in 2010 was on promoting recognition and rights of home-based workers (HBW), tackling bonded labour and child labour, and promoting gender equality in the work place. The Ministry of Labour and Manpower was supported to finalize the National Policy on Home-Based Workers (HBW), and three provincial assemblies passed resolutions demanding recognition of HBW with advocacy efforts involving the media and CSOs. A total of ten decent work deficits were identified for HBWs in Pakistan and a model of integrated services was developed and piloted in five locations for different sectors. Initiatives to promote gender equality at the workplace included engagement with government, employers' and workers' organizations. Advocacy, capacity building of government officials and CSOs, and research studies on specific issues affecting working women, are on-going. Bonded labourers, child labourers and their parents were supported through provision of non-formal education and vocational training. Capacity building was carried out of over 500 government officials, employers and CSOs to tackle child labour. Several thousand children were withdrawn withdrawn from labour, provided non-formal education and later mainstreamed into formal education.

 Source: Pakistan One Programme Annual Report 2010