Faisalabad: June 30, 2015. (PCP) The government must conduct census to collect huge data of domestic workers and home-based workers, and must ratify the ILO conventions C-177, C-189, C-183 and C-100 protecting rights of home-based workers and domestic workers, and protecting maternity leaves and equal remuneration, so that the social and legal cover could be extended to workers engaged in informal form of workforce. Government must monitor implementation of protection against sexual harassment at work place, and monitor the working conditions of brick kilns, lady health workers and factory workers. These demands were made by the trainers during a training workshop entitled “Leadership Skills for Women Workers Leaders” held at Faisalabad on June 5-6, 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. The event was joined by women workers from formal and informal sectors including; factory workers, lady health workers, home-based workers, social workers and domestic workers Speaking on the occasion, project manager of the AWAM, Shazia George said, “it is obligatory for government to avoid anti human rights legislation therefore government must withdraw all the laws which are contrary to labor rights and remove anti labour clauses from the Punjab Industrial Relation Act 2010.”.“Government must ensure basic facilities such as; day care centres, functional sexual harassment committees, equal wages, maternity leaves and separate toilets for women at workplaces,” she demanded. She further said, “We need to make sure domestic workers receive the dignity, the treatment, the salaries and the respect that they deserve. Therefore, the government must take steps to register unions of domestic workers and home-based workers, establish minimum wages and expanding their access to social security schemes.” A prominent labor right activist, Aslam Wafa said, “A large number of domestic workers and home-based workers are contributing to the Pakistan’s economy significantly, but irony is that they are not recognized as ‘workers’ as per the definition of workers set in the national labour laws whose definition only covers workers in the formal sector, working in factories and formal establishments. Without any legal protection they often have to work in exploitative conditions, without any regulation of working hours, terms of employment or wages.” “Government is responsible to enforce all the labor laws and make new laws for the protection and promotion of labor rights in Pakistan. In order to retain the GSP Plus status, the government must ensure labour rights for all workers, and repeal articles from IRA 2010, which hinder many labor groups particularly; domestic and home-based workers to make trade union and association,” he added. The director of the AWAM, Nazia Sardar said, “Women must enjoy political rights enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan, therefore family must encourage women to take in political process, especially women workers must muster up their courage to cast vote and contest local government election in order to challenge the traditional leadership and status quo, and make their recognition and representation felt as a woman leader to become a voice of women workers for highlighting their issues regarding formal and informal sector.” A women rights activist, Zarfishan Nasir said, “Most employers have not registered their workers with the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and Employees Social Security Institution (ESSI), therefore they are deprived of receiving pension and employment benefits. The government is legally bound to implement ILO conventions, which Pakistan has ratified, and align domestic laws in line with international labour standards.” “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.