1. Icame across thiswhileresearchingforGenderEqualityatWorkplaceandthoughtI’dshareaboutGender
EqualityforwomeninPakistan.
Governmentof Pakistan’sstance onCreatingGenderEqualityatWorkplace andEmployment
• First Women Bank Limited was established in 1989 in Karachi. It is a unique financial institution, a
Scheduled Commercial Bank and a development financial institution for the socio-economic
empowermentof women.Todaythe bankhasitsbranchesspreadall overthe Pakistan.
• The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2010 and Prevention of Anti-Women Practices (Criminal Law
Amendment) The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2010 was passed with amendmentsin Section 509 of
the PakistanPenal Code relatingtosexualharassmentatthe workplace,abill onThe “Preventionof Anti-
WomenPractices(Criminal LawAmendment) waspassedinthe year2011.
• ProtectionagainstHarassmentof Womenat Workplace Act, 2010. The ProtectionagainstHarassment
of Womenat the Workplace Act,2010 hasbeenmade mandatoryfor all organizationsof Pakistanwhere
the women can report any case of harassment at work place and the guilty is awarded with the
punishmentsandpenaltiesasperthe case.
• National CommissiononStatusof Women Bill 2012, National Commissiononthe Statusof WomenBill
2012 has been approved which aims to protect right of Pakistani women against discrimination. The
commissionisprovidedwiththe financial andadministrative autonomy.
• SAARC Journal of Human Resource Development 2013, Quota for Women in Public Sector Jobs Public
sector has announced 10% quota for women in employment and likewise reserved seats in parliament
and unioncouncil levelwhichisfacilitatedthroughlegislation.
• MillenniumDevelopmentGoals,Pakistanhas to achieve eight MDGs by the year 2015. The third MDG
is of “promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment”. The Government of Pakistan is
committedonachievingthe MDGs.
• Convention for Elimination of Discrimination against Women, International Labor Organization’s
“ConventionforEliminationof DiscriminationagainstWomen”(CEDW) hasalsobeenratifiedbyPakistan.
• Like Governmentof Pakistan,manyNGOs are alsocommittedforplayingtheirpart in reducinggender
equality at workplace in Pakistan such as the Alliance against Sexual Harassment (AASHA) is a nonprofit
organization working for gender discrimination in Pakistan. It aims to raise awareness on sexual
harassment and assist the Government and private sectors to create a society free of it. AASHA's first
initiativeisdirectedtowardstakingactive measurestomobilizeandinfluencepolicymakersforproviding
protectiontowomenat the workplace and ensuringasafe and healthyworkingenvironment.
• Launch of Seven Women Empowerment Principals in Pakistan the WEP (Women Empowerment
Principles) was initiated by the UN Women and Global Compact jointly under the theme of “Equality
meansBusiness”.The employersall overtheworldare sensitizedaboutthefactthatbyemployingwomen
on all levelsinorganisationstheirbusinesswill be enhanced.The organisationsare hence encouragedto
voluntary adapt the seven principles of the women empowerment. In Pakistan theses seven principals
were launchedbythe Global ImpactPakistanand EmployeesFederationof PakistaninJune 2013, which
is a positive step towards creating gender equality at workplace and at the same time provides a
progressive environmentinbusinessworld.Followingare the sevenwomenempowermentprinciples.

2. 1. Establishhigh-level corporate leadershipforgenderequality
2. Treat womenandmenfairlyat work - respectandsupporthuman rightsandnon-discrimination
3. Ensure the health,safetyandwell-beingof all womenandmenworkers
4. Promote education,trainingandprofessional developmentof women
5. Implemententerprise development,supplychain&marketingpracticesempowerwomen
6. Promote equalitythroughcommunityinitiativesandadvocacy
7. Measure andpubliclyreportonprogresstoachieve genderequality
• BusinessandLife SkillsSchool(Bliss)isanorganizationfoundedbySabaGulKhattak,aPakistani woman.
In this organization woman is taught to make bags, which are sold to help the marginalized women of
Pakistaninlowincome bracket.
• Kashaf Foundation Rsoshaneh Zafar a renounced Pakistani female founded a nonprofit microfinance
institution,namedasKashaf Foundation,workingforthe bettermentandwell-beingof Pakistaniwomen
belongingtolowincome groups.
A lotof non-governmental organizationsare workingfor creatingawareness