Faisalabad: April 15, 2015. (PCP) A training workshop entitled “Enhancing Awareness on Women Rights and Labour Laws” was held at Faisalabad on March 26-28, 2015. The event was hosted by the Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM), implementing project of “Enhancing Women Workers’ Awareness on their Rights & Labor Laws” under the Gender Equity Program (GEP) of Aurat Foundation by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The event was joined by women workers from formal and informal sectors including; factory workers, lady health workers, home-based workers and domestic workers. Speaking on the event, the director of the AWAM, Nazia Sardar said, “Most employers have not registered their workers with the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and Employees Social Security Institutions (ESSI), which deprive them of receiving pension, unemployment benefits, and other kinds of financial support from the Workers Welfare Fund, i.e. free medical treatment, death grants, marriage grants, education grants etc. Therefore, the government must ensure the issuance of Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC), social security cards and EOBI cards for all brick kiln and factory workers by registering them with government departments.” “The lady health workers and polio workers must be protected because they put their lives at risk to save our future generation from polio,” she added. The project manager of the AWAM, Shazia George said, “Women’s rights have received poor attention in society preventing the optimal use of their potential. There is a need to facilitate behavioural change in society by enabling women to access information, resources and institutions, and improve societal attitudes towards the women’s rights issues.” “The sufferings of the women workers will not come to an end unless they get united, organize themselves under a trade union or association, improve their knowledge and skills, and take collective stand against repression and exploitation,” she added. She further said, “The government is bound to comply with rights enshrined in 27 UN/ILO conventions associated with the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status to Pakistan, granting 20% of Pakistani products to enter the European market at zero tariff and 70% at preferential rates. The government may lose GSP Plus status on failing to meet obligations under conventions, ratified by Pakistan. The monitoring the compliance of GSP Plus status will definitely contribute to provide social security to workers; eliminate child labour, ensure equal wages to women workers and improve the working conditions and living standard of women workers.” A women rights activist, Zarfishan Nasir said, “The government is responsible to provide women workers with opportunities and facilities for education, employment and health care, whereas it is imperative for women workers to increase their knowledge about labor rights and laws, and collectively fight for protection of their due rights; whereas it is necessary for Chamber of Commerce to make efforts to increase awareness among women about handling and running business for their empowerment.” “The government must protect rights of home-based workers and domestic workers through ratification and implementation of ILO conventions No. 177 and No. 189 respectively, and bringing them under regulation to extend social and legal protection coverage to workers attached to the informal labor sector, who are not covered yet by labor laws or protected by a social security net,” she demanded.