The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan

By:

Zehra Khan, Krithika Dinesh

Date: December 2022

Khan, Zehra and Krithika Dinesh. 2022. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing (Law) Brief No. 13. Manchester, UK: WIEGO.

This brief discusses the struggle of home-based workers in Pakistan to realize the rights enshrined in the Sindh Home-Based Workers Act of 2018 – the first piece of legislation in South Asia solely for home-based workers.

Key Points:

Home-based workers in Pakistan organized for nearly two decades for legislation: the Sindh Home-Based Workers Act, 2018.
Research began by identifying thousands of workers as home-based workers and years were spent organizing around the common issues they face. In 2009, a national-level union – the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) – was formed.
A strengthened HBWWF, with support from its allies, used many strategies to advocate for legislation including organizing protests, meeting with government officials and politicians, and building solidarity.
With legislation now in place, home-based workers in Sindh continue to advocate for its enforcement.

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Informal Economy Theme

Organizing & Organizations

Law

Informal Economy Topic

History, Debate & Policies

Occupational group

Home-Based Workers

Region

Pakistan

Language

English