Home > Research Library Publications > The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan
Migrated Content

We have recently updated the WIEGO website and are in the process of rebuilding a number of pages. You might encounter layout issues on pages as we work on them. Thank you for your understanding.

Organizing Briefs

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

By , on December 20, 2022

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.

View list of all: Organizing Briefs

Download the PDF(this link opens in new window)

Citation Information

Khan, Zehra, and Dinesh, Krithika. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, , . WIEGO, 2022. https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Z., and Dinesh, K. (2022). The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, , . https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Zehra, and Dinesh, Krithika. "The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan." WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, WIEGO, 2022, .Khan Zehra, and Dinesh Krithika. "The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan." WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13 (2022). https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Z, and Dinesh, K 2022, 'The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan', WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, , . https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfZehra Khan, and Krithika Dinesh, 'The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan' (2022) WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13 Khan Z., and Dinesh K. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13. 2022. https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Zehra, and Dinesh, Krithika. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13. 2022. , . https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdf

The WIEGO Research Library

WIEGO is at the forefront of developing statistics and research to help audiences understand the informal economy. Our library includes over two decades-worth of informal economy research, policy analysis, statistics and documentation of organizing efforts.

Explore