Actionaid

South Asian and South East Asian Governments signed Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in 1980s to pay back extensive debts, which had forced critical shift in their economic policy paradigm - privatization, cut on social sector, elimination of subsidies on food and agriculture, deregulation of labour market in Export Promotion Zones (EPZs), export led-growth and downsizing of government and semi-government corporations. Moreover, investor friendly policies like denial of collective bargain and freedom of association, restrictions on right to protest and exempting export processing zones from all labour laws, have weakened the role of workers and trade unions. WTO only systematizes these so-called neo-liberal policies under the flag of 'free trade and fair market'. These liberalization and deregulation policies have turned the South literally into a source of cheap labour, sub-contractors and a captive market for the North. These developments have severely imposed on the manner in which women enter the labour force.

More than three fourths of the economically active women in the urban areas in

Pakistan

are employed in informal sector and engaged in usually sub-contracted piece-based cheap labour at homes in sectors like garments, bangle work, sack stitching and carpet weaving. Womens incorporation in such exploitative and unprotected employment only reinforces their sense of helplessness, created by a combination of macro economic conditions such as high inflation, unemployment of their men, price-hike in utilities and decline in expenditure on education, health, water and housing.

When judged in terms of greater say in family decision making or choice in spending their income, it becomes obvious that the home-based work does not lead to empowerment of women. The unprotected and unregulated nature of their work makes these home based workers even more vulnerable. They face multi-facet exploitation characterized by long hours and low wages and hazardous work environment. Home based women workers lack information and access to the market and therefore they are badly exploited by the middlemen. There are hardly any organizations or networks which raise their issues, provide them relevant information and interlink them in movement for better wages and working conditions. The situation requires experiencing learning among home-based women workers and human rights organizations at regional level.

In her welcome address, Ms. Aqsa Khan, Manager Social & Womens Rights, Actionaid Pakistan, emphasized on the need to realize the vulnerabilities of home-based women workers in Pakistan and other South Asian and South East Asian countries and reflect on how these are linked with globalization and the macro-economic policies that the governments have signed with IMF, WB and other financial institutions. This regional conference is a realization of this dire need.

The main purpose of the conference is to address the issues of working women with the following objectives:

ü To provide a common platform to workers, policy makers, concerned citizens and NGOs.

ü Advocate for the rights of women workers to promote progress of policies and laws related to informal economy.

the two-day conference was planned in the following manner: the 1^st day will highlight the impacts of globalization on women based workers and experience sharing (in group work) between women workers and human rights activists, whereas the 2^nd day, the issues discussed will be put into recommendations and strategized in order to take the campaign forward

In order to signify the conference theme, the organizer invited Ms Sitara Sohai, a bangle Industry worker to open the conference formally by sharing her experience of work, wages and woes. While telling her tale, Ms Sitara Sohail, bangle industry worker, said: "I am Sitara Sohail; I have three children, I make bangles. My husband's income is not enough to run the family and afford children's education. So I have to work and work hard to keep our lives running. I am working for many years, working long to change the conditions my family lives in; the conditions change but not in our favour".

She talked about the difficulties which she and her fellow colleagues face in bangle industry. She said that lack of income security and safeguards measures are the major problems for bangle workers. Sometimes they burn their hands when making bangles while eyes-swelling and knee pain are common complaints. Because they do not get any medical allowance, so they can not afford medical treatment. Despite working hard for long hours, and in hazardous environment, the contractors (middlemen) do not pay them right wages for making 310 bangles, the workers get Rs.360.40 only.

South East Asia: Ms Junya Lek Yimprasert (Thai Labor Campaign, Thailand), Ms Pry Phally Phuong (Womens Agenda for Change, Cambodia), Ms Hoang Phuong Thao (Vietnam), &

Pakistan: Dr Rubina Saigal (Pakistan), Dr. Saba Gul Khattak (Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan), Ms. Najma Saddique (Shirkatgah, Pakistan) and Mr Aftab Alam (Actionaid International, Pakistan).

Indian delegates could not attend the conference due to crude visa process between India and

Pakistan

Structural Adjustment Programs & their Effect on Women Workers -Collusion of Patriarchy & Capitalism

Dr Rubina Saigol, a human rights activist, has been an active member of Women Action Forum (WAF) since 1980. Dr Rubina holds Ph.D. in Education. She has written a number of publishable articles and papers on globalization, war on terrorist courses, education and women workers.

Dr Rubina Saigal was the first speaker of the session. The major focus of her presentation was on highlighting the enlightened and organized exploitation of labour (rather human resource) in sequence, from post-WW2 infrastructure development and economic growth by means of expensive borrowing to Structural Adjustment Programmes in 1980s, and the impact of these macro economic policies on women workers in informal sector. Dr Saigol criticized the modern development paradigm and globalization as the off shoot of Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs), created to re-colonize the former colonies or so-called independent Third World countries through economic coercion. Giving the historical context of these self-perpetuated financial institutions she exposed the shift in their policies from giving loans for infrastructure development to becoming development institutions themselves, and finally taking the driving seat to recover the expensive loans by means of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs).

Borrowing was promoted as inevitable for economic growth and development, and capacity to repay expensive debt. the World Bank pretended that it was development institutions and could give long-term loans on low interest rate, whereas IMF would give loans on extremely high interest rate. But the (lending) arrangements were so that one could not borrow from the World Bank unless one has already borrowed from the IMF. And for every dollar borrowed from IMF, one could borrow seven times from World Bank said Dr Saigol.

The modern paradigm of development, structured and adjusted around liberalization, privatization and deregulation, is self-imposing from beginning to no-ends imposing development loans, selling development solution and technology, pushing government for higher taxes and cut on public expenditure (education, health, drinking water etc), eliminating subsidies on food and agriculture, privatizing public sector and finally deregulating the labour market to make it investor friendly. Another major aspect of SAPs, which is very relevant to our meeting here today, was the deregulation of the labour market, and in that context the Export Promotions Zones (EPZs) or free-trade zones were established, where there are no medical facilities, no minimum wages, no accident insurance. All the rights which the labour was given under the UN instruments and ILO conventions were taken away in this deregulation of the market contended Dr Saigol.

Quoting Barnet and Muller, Dr Saigol explained the extent to which the World Bank and IMF, later on the WTO, the original engines pushing the global capitalism forward, are becoming more powerful that World Bank has more control over education and culture than UNESCO, more control over agriculture than FAO, more control over health than WHO.

The role of the state kept rolling along the macro economic policies set by the World Bank and IMF. After the Great Depression of early thirties, an economic crisis of the capitalism, the economist argued for more state intervention to protect citizens. Under the fear that, after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917, the working class would raise up in other countries, a welfare state was created as a historical compromise between capital and labour. When the POEC countries controlled oil prices during the 1973 oil- crisis, the economist prescribed for less state control, laissez faire; they argued that the state, which is political, distorts the market that is economic. State function was put away from serving its citizens to become investor-friendly, said Dr Saigol. In the whole process of restructuring the state, the state was moved in the name of good governance, a new mantra to be introduced, which changed the whole idea of democracy the issues such as rule of law, accountability, transparency, and freedom of information which in the past used to be for the citizens were changed now to protect investment.

The gap created by states withdrawal from providing social services was filled with the new civil society. The concept of civil society as now understood is debatable, she argued, There is strong criticism that NGOs are fast co-opting into global capitalist system through the technology of global conferences, increased funding and the like.

While highlighting the impact of SAPs and global market, Dr Saigol gave examples from everyday lives, which usually go un-noticed or not valued when the government cuts on health expenditure, and private hospitals are expensive, women are expected to care for sick and old members of the family; when subsidies are cut, women spend more time traveling further to cheaper markets. When the government cuts on education and it becomes privatized and expensive, the parents prioritize sons over girls to send to school. Women are the last to eat, last to be given medical care, but they are first to accept less secure, temporary and part time jobs which reinforces their helplessness. This phenomenon of casualization and informalization, in fact feminization of labour has been exacerbated by the sutructural adjustment programmes.

Power and Politics of the Global Trade Agreement and Supply Chain of Clothing/ Garment Manufacturing!

Ms. Junya Lek Yimprasert, from Thailand, founded Thai Labour Campaign in 1990. Lek has written numerous articles and reports related to women workers and labours exploitation in the new liberal economy. She wrote a research paper on Thailand camp corporate codes of conduct to promote labour standards. Lek holds many advisory positions including The Assembly of the Poor, The Workers Rights Consortium, and the focal point for Asian Gender and Trade Networks

In order to break the barrier between the stage (presenter) and the audience, Ms Junya Lek Yimprasert put some simple direct questions to the audience e.g. Does any one of you (women participants) here think that if you were born men, you would have been happier? And how many men, present here, think that they would have been better, had they been born as women? In response, no women appeared to wish to be born as men, while six men responded that they would have been better had they been born women.

Junya Lek Yimprasert, in her presentation, focused on the linkages between global trade policies (politics) and power of corporations / brands, and emphasized on cooperatives and associations of workers in

Thailand

, citing the case of garment manufacturing industry.

Exposing the exploitation of labour in the global market, she pointed to the colossal difference between the cost of production and its market price. For example, market price of a pair of shoe is one hundred euro while its production cost is only one and a half euro. Similar is the difference between the labour cost in the poor countries for example the labour cost of a European worker is Rs.1800, while the labour cost of the same worker in poor countries is fifty rupees only, which is too little to make living. This difference in labour cost is only because the European workers are organized and unionist compared to workers in poor Asian and east Asian countries.

While criticizing the role of transnational and multinational companies (TNCs, MNCs) and their agents (large manufacturers, small factories, middleman etc.), she used the metaphor of big fish eats small fish-In maximizing the profit, the big brands/companies minimize the cost of labour and production thus they shift their industries in the poor countries to employ women (as informal workers). The labour is small fish, and the most of the smaller fish are women. It is a big fish-small fish business where big fish eats on the many layers of smaller fish, declared as informal and hence without social and legal protection. The global trade has become a politics, a politics of control over labour market.

The politics of global trade and agreements has divided the world in profit and labour blocks, the north and south countries. The north countries are buyers which grow richer and richer, while the south, the producers, grows poorer and poorer on each trade deal. The southern countries trade off their women, the 80 percent of their workforce, as cheap labour for the industry. That is why the north relocated their industry in south. Since the abolition of export quota system in 2005, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are signing bi-lateral trade agreements, e.g. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), with each other.

The sixty countries of south region, the Central America, Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and

China

, are competing with one another to sell their products in rich northern countries. In this state of competition, the southern countries thus export their produce at low prices, which can be made possible only by paying low wages to their workers, amongst which eighty percent are women.

Thailand

was number-one garments exporting country till 1997. However, due to ever increasing competition among southern countries to export their products at low prices, the garments sector in

Thailand

has lost to become 6^th from 1^st in the export category. Sub-contracting the production order through middlemen further exploits the women workers in term of low wages as well as job insecurity. From monthly payment of wages, the middlemen shifted to weekly and then daily basis. The shift from monthly to weekly wage payments in fact reflects the shift in employment from monthly to daily basis. Currently the workers receive their wages on per-piece basis.

Many of the southern governments are not peoples governments in real, so they make policies to facilitate the mega business companies. For example, our government banned trade unions to deprive their workers of their right to organize for their labour rights. Even more, the southern governments are reluctant to sign and implement the international conventions on workers rights. For example, the

Thailand

government has signed only fourteen ILO conventions out of its total 190 conventions.

The idea of free trade is not good for the people as it does not bind the business companies, international market towards producers / workers rights. When the workers are paid in pennies, the executives of the multinational companies draw thousands of dollars. It would take the workers 50 years to work and earn the money that the company executives make in one year. That is why we ask for changes in the system. In

Pakistan

, working hours are increased from 8 to 12, which are totally against the ILO set rules. Because the garments workers get low wages, so the rate of their migration is high. They migrate to Dubai, China,

Thailand

, etc.

What we need is to change the power relations, to take the power back to the people from the governments, businessmen and the market. The (southern) governments shall implement their trade policies seriously, so that we, the workers, can see if the policies benefit the workers; if not, the government shall change these policies in favor of the workers. The workers, and the human rights activists and organization, shall organize, and united to stand for their rights. Our trade unions, political parties shall act together to facilitate the peoples in securing safe and sustainable livelihoods. In case of international brands, we need international networking to highlight the issues of our workers together at international level, concluded Junya Lek Yimprasert.

Dr Saba Gul Khattak is serving as Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) since 2002. She also worked as senior fellow at SDPI. The major focus of her work is the gender aspect of labour, especially the informal sector. She has, on her credit, an award winning study Hazardous home-based contracted work.

In order to set a background for her presentation, Dr Saba discussed the in-formalization of work and the public private divide. Generally, the work provided in the public sector, irrespective of its type and quality, is considered as paid work, while the work in private sector, mostly done by women at home, is exploited as un-paid or low-paid work. The idea that the work at home, mostly done by women, does not qualify as paid work, is not a new. Rather, it is deeply rooted in our minds, life styles and values of the man-made society (since long). The formal definition of work does not include the work form home and hence does not identify home-based workers work as labour. The labour laws, therefore, do not protect home-based women workers. After a long struggle, the rights of home-based workers have been recognized in some countries, but not in

Pakistan

Referring to her award winning study on whether home-based work empower women, Dr Saba discussed the international value chain structured between the retailers at international and local level, the contractors, middlemen and finally the women working from home. We surveyed the women workers in Prawn-shelling, sack-stitching, candle-making and carpet-weaving industry in Godra, Korangi, Orangi and Machhar Colony in Karachi, to check the hazardous impact on women working in these sectors. We also analyzed that if the home-based work contributes towards the social, economic and biological well being of women workers. We noticed that prawn-shelling and candle-making, despite being hazardous work, were paid low wages, whereas carpet-weaving get comparatively good wages just for being a formal sector. For example, the women workers are paid Rs.5/- for one thousands candles. Contrary to general perception that working women enjoy better status in society as well as respect and care at home, our study concluded that working from home does not empower women, said Dr Saba.

Criticizing macro-economic policies of the World Bank, Dr Saba commented that the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) resulted in downsizing of public sector, privatization of state-enterprises, closure of factories, un-employment, contract work and substantial decrease in the buying power of the workers. While capital moves freely in the world, the workers can not do so. The illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Burma and other poor countries etc, working in Karachi are the best example. Being illegal, these workers are vulnerable to labour exploitation at the hands of many middlemen.

The household model of the new capital economics is based on the assumption that the head of the household looks after the interests of all the household members. But this is a wrong assumption because the unequal relationships in the household make a fair deal impossible. She also rejected the opinion, held by some economists, that ban on child labour would reduce employment size and hence result in better wages for workers. She linked the child labour with the exploitation of home-based women workers, and argued that the human rights activism for banning the children labour proved altogether euphoric. Because the children work to support their families, therefore, banning the child labour does not resolve the problem unless their parents get fair wages for their work. In our study, we also noticed that boys are not preferred for immediate works / services compared to girls, as girls are hardworking, more accommodating and more obedient than boys. Thus, boys are usually sent to schools for higher educations or skill development etc.

The women working at home were found more vulnerable to health hazards as compared to those working in the public sector. The formers complained that they could not afford medical treatment of the hazardous impact of work environment at home. It was observed that the women working from home also face the domestic violence and pressure of patriarchal values. Thus, the home-based work does not empower women at all, rather adds to their social and health problems.

Decentralization of work from factories to home turned harmful for the women workers. The policies of militarization and Islamization during Zia-ul-Haq regime badly affected womens right to public work. It shifted the production work from factories into homes it was like banning the work in public and allowing the same in disguise (at home) i.e. to exploit the labour in informal and acquiring big profits. Many religious parties re-enforced the culture that women of respectable families do not work outside of home. Although patriarchal system was enforced by men, but women are much influenced with it, also favored this culture of women-at-home.

Home does not substitute for the work environment or workplace - because houses can not be visited by the responsible authorities to check the quality of work environment. The labour laws can not be implemented at home.

The government of

Pakistan

does not have any data on the informal sector, although it has signed a convention on collecting data on informal sector. The government needs to establish a system of data collection about the work, wages and workplace of the informal workers. This however can not be done unless the workers in the informal sector are registered as labour. The government shall set up registration boards under the local government where the workers can get registered. The study also suggested that the government shall establish a welfare trust, from the tax collected from such industries, to fund workers safety equipment, health, children education and support them in their times of trouble.

Globalization & its impact on garment factory workers & Sex Workers in Cambodia

Ms Pry Phally Phuong, from Cambodia, works with the garment workers and sex workers from the platform of Womens Agenda for Change. The organization actively works to end violence against women and for the debt cancellations of poor countries

Citing the life testimonies of garment workers, sex workers and debt ridden small farmers in Cambodia, Ms Pry Phally Phoung, deliberated on how the globalization and IMF, WB dictated macro economic policies affecting women working in informal sectors. Her analysis further strengthened the opinion that instead of healing economic wounds, the IMF and World Bank policies exacerbate the situation in (so-called) developing countries.

Women in

Cambodia

, which represent majority of adult population i.e. over 54 percent, have little choices in their lives, education or employment. Poverty, discrimination and violence combine to further restrict the choices given to them: the jobs offered are highly exploitative, low paid and insecure. They are increasingly expected to leave their traditional roles as housekeepers and seek paid employment for their families upbringing. The most common employment available to young women is either in the Garment industries or Sex work.

Women workers work in hazardous environment. They are paid low wages and do not have right to negotiate for wages. Due to lack of legal protection and trade unions, exploitation of these workers goes un-checked. They are paid, not on monthly basis, but on daily basis, which in fact make them vulnerable in terms of job security. Many of these young girls and women migrate to Malaysia or other countries for better income. Most of them find work in garment and sex industry.

Describing the situation of women working in the garment factories, Ms Pry said that the working conditions are quite hazardous, and the wages are shamefully low. Living is so expensive in cities that five to six people have to share one room to pay a rent of $25 per month which does not include utility bills. These women workers can not afford a routine care of their health. After the shift in US, the sex workers again are taken as bad women. Sex workers are human beings, just like us; they work as sex workers, as they have no other (marketable) skills, to support their families. They are not bad women, but equally good like others, like us, said Ms Pry.

Cambodian government receives loans from the World Bank and IMF on harsh conditionalities (privatizations, liberalization and de-regulations) which it must comply with. These lending institutions press the government to privatize the public sector, the drinking water supply, health services, education etc. Money becomes the key to access any services and resources. The private sector provides services only to the population which can afford to pay for the services. Thus, the IMF and WB policies in fact disempowered women and increased poverty.

The poor farmers in

Cambodia

get loans to support their income generating activities, for seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, for rearing livestock. They get these loans on high interest rates which accumulate year by year, and in most cases exceed the principal loan. The farmers pay back the loans but only by selling their house possessions, livestock and lands, and sometimes they have to get more loans to pay back the existing loans. Ms Pry told the participants the story of a middle aged widow, that how she lost their agricultural land to the money lenders, to borrow money at 20 % interest rates, for the treatment of her husband suffering from cancer. Her family was, however, never able to pay back the loan. So, the money lenders confiscated her lands, which were the only source of income and livelihood for her family.

Comparing the life testimonies of young women with those of elderly women in

Cambodia

, Mr Pry said that the life in the near past was much secure and happier than today. All the elderly women interviewed by the Womens Agenda for Change stated that to make a living they never had to migrate to other areas, or sell their household possessions, lands or livestock.

Due to discrimination against women, Cambodia is getting poorer and poorer. Globalization is putting bad impact on the women workers. The WB and IMF policies and conditionalities bring nothing but out-migration, labour exploitation, increase in womens responsibilities, pressure about childrens future and violence against women, concluded Ms. Pry Phally Phuong.

Ms. Najma Saddique is a renowned human rights activist and she works with Shirkat Gah. She is expert on globalization issues. She has written number of valuable articles and books on the issues of globalization, WTO, organic farming and biodiversity

Women of the sea They tend to be invisible; they don even go to sea; but they are indispensably there, weaving the lives of their families with those of the river, the mangroves and the ocean.

The resource person strongly criticized the decision of Government of Sindh to sell two diamond islands near Karachi coastal area to foreign investors. On behalf of people in Karachi and the fisher-folk, she appealed to the participants to protest and stop the sale of these mangroves islands.

Before deliberating on how the global policies bypass the rights of fisher folk community, Najma Saddique, defined the term globalization in very simple words and examples, Think of a house or a country, whether you are running a factory, a business or a country, whether you are doing a job, you need resources you need water, you need raw material, you need land, you need labour etc. The globalization is simply this: that the more you get these resources in hand, the more you profit. In the past, millions of people used to do small businesses, a family was an enterprise. Time has changed. Now the corporations take control of all these resources and do their own mega enterprise. The biggest of these resources is land - if these corporations (TNCs, MNCs) have land, they get full control over all its resources. Thus globalization is nothing but a modern word for colonization, which takes land and natural resources away from people.

While commenting on WTO, Najma Saddique argued that through WTO regime, the World Bank and IMF plan the appropriation of, and control over, peoples lands and other resources. Interestingly, after WTO, about one hundred countries had to change or amend their constitutions to give more power to WTO than their own governments. The World Bank and IMF pretend that they give loans for the uplift of the poor. But they are commercial, not charitable, organizations. They take money from other business organizations and lend it to poor (third world) countries. They follow the same principals of profit making as that of our local money-lenders - they keep raising the interest rate so that poor countries (or people) would never come out of this loan dilemma.

Capitalism and globalization is in fact another face of former feudalism and colonization. The feudalism started in England and later on it was transferred to America by the English migrants. The migrants turned into the colonizers and they appropriated the American lands in their favor. The historical context of globalization (or colonization) reveals that the

America

in its entirety is a stolen territory. The re-colonization of

America

started after its so called independence. The feudalism in

America

was so strong that both the Rockefeller and J P Morgan, a biggest financial agency in the world today, owned all the lands, all the businesses and all the companies, in ten to thirteen states each. That was feudalism on massive scale, equivalent to globalization in terms of influence and power

WTO has adversely affected the livelihoods of the fisher-folk of coastal areas. To understand what went wrong for the women of 400,000 coastal community, one must understand the rivers, the mangroves and the ocean which together shape their lives. Mangroves play an inevitable role in maintaining sea life. They support up to eighty percent of diverse plant species worldwide while eighty percent of global commercial fish-catches also depend on mangroves, whether directly or indirectly. In fact, ninety percent of the marine life begins from the mangroves e.g. fish keep their eggs in there. Mangroves are source of medicinal herbs, fruit, honey and fuel wood which women harvest. Mangroves constantly trap the sediments that come with the silt flow and fill up the eroded sea. The studies on Tsunami disaster clearly show that the areas protected by mangroves faced less damage. Half of the mangrove area has already been last due to intensive exploitation of the natural services they provide. So these shall be used less and less; seasonal fishing shall be promoted; traditional fishing methods, nets shall be used.

We advocate the right to clean and fresh water as basic human right, but we forget that it is not the human life only but the sea-life also depends on clean and fresh water. Mangroves can only survive if eighteen percent fresh water keeps flowing into the sea. Fish and other marine life and their eggs or live offspring also need clean water while they die out in dirty waters. But we continuously contaminate the fresh waters daily 10-15 million gallons of municipal and solid waste is dumped into the bay, seriously affecting marine life, biodiversity and human livelihoods and health. Due to contamination of fresh sea waters, the fisher-folk have to fish deep in the sea, where they can not compete with the big fishing trawlers. The salinity has risen to a level which the mangroves can not tolerate. Irregular use of technology is also responsible for destruction of these mangroves. The environmental cost of using new technologies is never taken into account. The damage done to sea life and mangroves does not have technological fix. Biological systems have to be treated biologically.

Najma Sadidque strongly criticized the ambiguous role played by some UN agencies and one wonders whose side they support. For example the FAO, while examining the Fishing capacities and fisheries in Pakistan focused only on

Pakistan

potential in fish export. The report, however, showed no concerns about the fisher folk, their livelihoods being wiped out by industrialized fish export and unilateral fishing policies. Women of the fisher community were reduced to cleaning fish, shelling of shrimps for export industry or becoming domestic labour. A single one kg pack of export shrimps can fetch more than their one month wages, including overtime. The shrimp industry exports about $200 worth to EU only each year, and it can easily pay good wages and provide safe working conditions to the workers but they do not.

The scientist warned that if the unregulated development, privatization of natural life for commercial purpose and contamination of fresh water continued, it would soon spoil the entire life. It is not only the fisher folk which would die, but the whole sea life; the whole nature would be destroyed. This would lead to destruction of rivers and seas in

Australia

, Canada etc as the world is connected by oceans. Its social and political affects would be too severe to mitigate.

Ms. Hoang Phuong Thao, representative from Vietnam, worked on women rights with the Actionaid Vietnam. Presently, she is working with Actionaid Asia as Coordinator Economic justice and management. Her work also includes the campaign against the Anti US dumping.

I am coming from Communist, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and you may think that women may have some social protection there. But it is not true these days. The Vietnam economy collapsed in 1986 and the government decided to open free trade zones and special economic zones. The trade unions are fully state controlled. The un-employment is a big problem said Haong Phuong Thao from

Vietnam

while the social and political context of her country.

Footwear industry, one of the six key exports, plays an important role in

Vietnam

s growing economy it employs more than 500,000 workers, excluding those working in the footwear supporting industry contributing five to six percent in GDP. Fifty nine percent of its total annual footwear goes to EU which is the bigger market for

Vietnam

Because Vietnam is exporting a lot of footwear to EU, an EU shoe factory filed a petition against the two Vietnamese factories in

China

on 30 May 2005. Their petitioner made allegation that thirty-three types of footwear products were exported to EU market at price lower than normal costs. In fact, these are not Vietnamese factories but the middle that control the prices in the EU market. On 23 November 2005 the European Commission (EC) concluded that none of the investigated samples met the criteria for enterprise working in the market economy. On 7 April 2006, the EC started imposing provisional anti-duping duties, and on 7 October 2006 the EC finally charged extra 10% duties to

Vietnam

The EC is playing double role in trade and development policies. At one hand the EC maintains that they are supporting development in

Vietnam

, and that they promote free trade. But on the other hand the EC imposes tax on

Vietnam

products because these are cheap and can compete with the European products. Such dual and discriminatory policies badly affected the workers and economy: Downturn in order and production of shoe factories, immediately after the EC announced that Vietnam is dumping its products; Most of the key partners shifted from Vietnam to neighboring countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and

Indonesia

, and factories closed down. Out of the eight factories investigated, only one factory closed down, while other reduced their labour force by sixty to seventy percent. More than 500,000 workers (80% of them are women) risk their job and livelihoods. The wages of women workers in the factories were further decreased. Because women are not aware of their rights, so they have to bend to their employers and accept all the conditionality.

Pulling and pushing factories in labour market result in migration of workers from rural to urban area and vice versa. Women move to rural areas to find work. The employers in the cities also prefer migrant workers because these women know little about their rights; they are modest and desperate to work even on low wages. The legal frameworks are weak to protect the rights of the workers, especially the women workers. Right to union and protest is not recognized in Vietnam, which makes the workers even more vulnerable.

Mr. Aftab Alam works with Actionaid International office in Pakistan. Biodiversity, food rights and campaign against WTO policies are major areas of his expertise.

In his presentation Aftab Alam, from Actionaid International, discussed the trade related agreement and alternatives, and that how women lost their role in maintaining traditional seeds and their knowledge. He stated that women, who are the main food producers, get less to eat, compared to men. Womens access to food is very low. During one of Actionaids research study conducted in Bahawalnagar two years ago, it was noticed that almost fifty percent of women of the area had never drunk milk, whereas thirty percent women had never eaten meat. Food subsidies are given to rich countries only, and not the poor, because in that case poor countries would be able to produce and export their products in the international market which would benefit poor farmers in the developing countries.

Intellectual property rights (TRIPS) is another exploitative agreement in the hands of multinational seed companies. This agreement does not acknowledge the wisdom of poor farmers about local seeds, crops etc. The countries like Latin America, Africa, India and

Pakistan

, have a lot of local seeds and crops. In these countries women are the major keepers of local seeds and knowledge. Due to seed corporations, women lost income resources, and hence their status as creators. Under WTO policies, the rich countries are allowed to give their farmers subsidies on agricultural inputs so that they can sell their products at low prices. Thus the products of our farmers can not compete in the global free market, and even at home. In WTO, rich countries discuss how they can get more access to the markets of developing countries. Thus the industries in poor countries like

Pakistan

would lag behind in competition to the industries in rich countries. It would cut the export from the poor countries and damage their industry. The contractors have deprived the womenfolk of their work and wages. Women loose most in this whole game of free market.

Also the contractual labour prevents women workers from joining their unions to protect their rights. The intellectual property (TRIPS) rights limit our populations access to education because poor people can not access the books and literature as it costs huge money. People prefer to pay for their boys and keep the girls out and instead put them in cheap labour and income generating activities. So is the case in health sectors. Multinational companies (MNCs) enjoy legal protection to sell their medicines at high prices. Some of the drug companies established a chain of hospitals by following the same patterns as those of the KFCs, McDonalds, and other multinational food chains; where they influence medical staff to recommend and prescribe their high price medicines. Privatization of drinking water e.g. mineral water or bottled water in

Pakistan

, deprive people of their basic human right. Due to non-payment of water bills, the water connections of poor families are cut / disconnected.

Globalization deprives workers to get united in trade unions, which is a pre-requisite for a sustainable socio-political and economic change. So unless workers get united, they can not fight for their rights. So we shall make endeavors to raise our voices and demands effectively at local, national, and international level. We shall raise our issues again and again with the government and its line departments. NGOs like Shirkatgah, Actionaid, etc would support workers struggles.

The second session consisted of group work on Experience Sharing of exploitative working conditions chaired by Samina Khan (Executive Director, SUNGI Development Foundations). The participants were divided in three groups representing garments, pharmaceutical and Bangle industries, each group with two facilitators as shown in the table below. Each group discussed the exploitative working conditions for women, articulated their issues and presented recommendations:

Group A Facilitator

Group B: Facilitator

Group C: Facilitator

Bushra Khaliq /Azra Shad

(Women Workers in the Garment Industry)

Naheed Affandi / Uzma Quresh

(Women Workers in the Pharmaceutical Industry)

Nasir Mansoor / Zehra Akbar Sayed

(Women Workers in the Bangle Industry)

Ms Safia from Women workers Help Line, Toba Tek Singh shared the condition of garment workers in following words:

ü We sew bags, which are brought by men; we do not know where these come from and where these go, and where these bags are used.

ü Bags sewing: We make 100 bags for only Rs.70. If we do not make that amount of bags, we loose our job.

ü Similar conditions prevail in garment work for every shirt that we work on which involves intricate embroidery work we get 300 and it is sold for Rs. 3000 in the market

ü We have to bear many threats and bad words from the employers as they gave us too short time period to complete any work task.

ü We also have to face a lot of domestic problems along with the professional hardships, as we have to take care of our children and household chores with the professional work load.

ü Due to extra work load women here are also suffering from many physical ailments.

ü If we go to shops ourselves to get this work, we the men ridicule us for stepping out of the house. The contractors threaten us that if we demand more wages, they will not give us work.

ü Some of us also sew shoes and stockings: for 24 pairs of stocking we are paid only Rs.60, while it takes a lot of time; we have to work because we have to support our families, as our men do not earn enough for the family. In order to justify low wages, the contractors argue that our work was not good; we request that NGOs and human rights organizations to support our cause.

ü We work for 12 hours but do not get paid for overtime. The bosses force the women workers to stay till they are in the office.

ü We get our salaries too late and also we are not given our due increments from many years.

ü Our employers do not provide us the transportation facilities, due to which we have to face a lot of difficulties.

ü If we arrive at the factory a little late, the administrative closes the gates, marks the women workers as absent and sends the workers back to homes.

ü We have to support our families, we need fair wages. I work equal to four workers, but our male colleagues get more wages and health and benefit.

ü Employment policies discriminate between both genders as men are given health and old age benefits whereas women are not given any such benefit.

ü If for any reason we have to take leave form work place, they deduct our salaries and we are not allowed to take leaves.

ü Women are sexually harassed by the employers or male colleagues, also women are the victims of mental torture in the work place.

ü If we refuse, we are denied our jobs. We are threatened that if we complain against them, they will tell our families that we have loose characters.

ü We even do not have the freedom to go to the bathrooms; we even can not say prayers with peace and keep asking us to hurry while praying.

ü I request that women from respectable families, who do not work by choice but due to economic pressures, shall be given protection compared to those women who come to job out of their choice.

ü We do not have separate washrooms for women. The men/boys always stay around the washrooms to embarrass and sexually harass us.

ü We demand that women workers shall get protection at work place. I request NGOs and human rights groups to support our cause.

Shakeela Mehmood who works in the bangle industry, expressed the plight of her fellow workers in following words:

ü Children are also involved in the work - girls make 50% of the workers in the bangle industry. Bangle is ripen in bathi (kiln), which damages the fingers; we are given low wages; no protection from the law.

ü The gas, heat and the chemical used for dyeing are hazardous for us we face cough and TB. It also damages our eyesight. In such conditions even masks and gloves are not provided to women by the employers

ü The place of work is very small as compared to the number of workers. This causes congestion.

ü The working environment is not comfortable for women as there is no legal protection.

ü There are no unions which give us information and support our struggle. I request that NGO/human rights organizations should organize us in trade unions.

ü Due to such tiring work routine we find no work and resources to care about food and health.

ü By working from homes, we are unable to share our grievances with each other and get organized; there should be a proper work place, out of homes, where we can work together and share our work and grievances, and strategize our struggle from some collective platform.

ü Schools should be made for the children and health facilities should be provided to the home based workers.

Each presenter suggested that some organizations or activists should come for their rescue and organize them in unions. However, my experience suggests that the women workers should unite themselves and organize in groups at homes, street and mohallas level. The lowering of age limit (55 yrs) for workers in sewing and knitting industry has deprived older women of their right to pension. We need to stand for women workers rights to pension and social security. We are not weak. We are strong enough to stand for our rights. The only thing we need is to realize and share our strength and confidence with one another.

Group Work - Efforts for economic justice and healthy working conditions.

The second day was designed to discuss in groups the efforts needed to achieve economic justice and healthy working conditions at work place. The discussion was planned in three groups with three different themes and the participants were given choice to join any group-theme according to their experiences. The groups, their themes and facilitators names are given in table below:

Group A: Facilitator

Aqsa Khan/Uzma Quresh

Topic: Role of Government in providing economic & Social alternatives for workers in the informal sector.

Group B: Facilitator

Tasleem Mazhar

Topic: Role of CSOs in creating initiatives/support centres for women workers in the informal sector particularly home-based workers.

Group C: Facilitator

Aarya Nijat

Topic: Role of investors/private sector in improving conditions at work through better wages & social security benefits.

Group A: Role of Government in providing economic & Social alternatives for workers in the informal sector

Ø The home based workers or the informal sector is expanding rapidly and it is even taking over the formal sector, and the reason for it is fastest growing globalization. So we need to highlight the socio-economic rights of the bigger ratio of our population. Informal sector is growing fast and need immediate attention and support.

Ø The official definition of workers does not recognize the people in the informal sectors as workers. Thus, the labour laws do not apply to them. It is, therefore, recommended that new laws shall be made to protect the rights of informal workers.

Ø We need to know about the existing provisions, such as the ILO Home-Based Convention which the Government should sign, and effectively implement the ILO conventions.

Ø The government should set minimum wages for the informal workers. Secondly the disparity between men and women workers should be controlled, where the work is done equally by both genders but women workers get the least share in the economic terms. There must be some minimum fixed labor wages such as in India, where if a worker is not getting his/her justified wages fixed by the government, s/he is paid for that by the state. This works as a safeguard and a safety net for them, such laws should be introduced for Pakistani workers as well.

Ø They should be provided social protection,

India

is already presenting a bill in its parliament on social protection for the unorganized sector

Ø Existing social security arrangements do not reach the deserving workers. The government should look into the situation.

Ø We should reject the globalization and privatization which further deprive the women workers of their right to organize.

Ø Dialogue and discussion forums with public representatives and government parliamentarians, should be conducted and an accountability system must be originated, as the formal sector is too vast.

Ø The formal sector is getting insecure. The workers in formal and informal sectors should be linked and organize dialogues and debates to struggle together.

Group B: Role of CSOs in creating initiatives/support centres for women workers in informal sector particularly home-based workers

Ø Workers do not have much information about civil society organizations (CSOs). So the civil society organizations should approach the people, introduce themselves and explain what they can do for workers.

Ø CSOs/NGOs should facilitate the registration of these workers as formal labour.

Ø We should organize the workers sector wise e.g. organizations of bangle workers, garments workers, etc.

Ø We should establish networks of these various sectors to join them together in their struggle.

Ø Whether in cities or villages we should form some informal meeting points e.g. centres, school bethaks, etc.

Ø CSOs should collect data / information on informal workers before reaching them.

Ø We should use print and electronic media for the campaign TV/newspapers, make documentaries etc.

Ø If the government makes some new policies and rules concerning informal workers, the CSOs should inform workers about these rules and policies.

Ø CSOs should also monitor the working hours and the wages of the informal workers.

Ø Worker should get united, as no organization could support them if they do not stand for their rights themselves.

Ø The workers should not only work for their individual rights but also for collective rights as well.

Ø Social organizations must be aware of the facts and figures and the problems faced by women

Ø workshops and training programs should be organized in the rural areas(especially for awareness among women)

Ø The educated women should be encouraged and fear and hesitation should be eliminated among women through these trainings

Ø There should be proper platforms for women where they can gather and share their experiences

Ø Some women workers should be selected among the groups for the guidance and support of women workers

Ø The women from local groups could be activated in addition to social organizations

Ø Work should be done for labours working in the kilns. Their problems must be identified and highlighted

Ø There should be a separate organization for women laborers working in the kilns

Ø Social organizations and unions must function in collaboration for the legal protection of the workers

Group C: Role of investors/private sector in improving conditions at work through better wages & social security benefits

Arya Nijat articulated the experiences, their problems and immediate needs below:

Ø Wages are very low for the informal, home-based workers. Wages should be increased and minimum wages should be fixed

Ø There should be a proper workplace for women workers (free from sexual harassment)

Ø The workers should get bonus, or medical allowances in case of diseases. There should be free medical health care treatment for the workers

Ø Skill learning opportunities are provide for their children. Vocational training centers should be set up for different skills.

Ø Awareness raising and workers rights trainings should be organized for the workers

Ø The workers should make representative committees because they have to work themselves to get united as no one will fight for their rights. The workers should stay in contact and show solidarity with each other.

Ø We should start from our homes to fight against patriarchy. The NGOs should organize trainings for the families (especially men) of the workers as well for attitude change.

Ø CSOs should provide information and support to workers so they get work without middlemen. The NGOs should play the role of contractors unless the workers are able to market their own products in the market. The NGOs /CBOS should also organize marketing trainings for the workers

Ø CSOs should hold training for the workers to inform them about existing laws.

Khadim Hussain concluded the session and expressed his views group-wise (theme-wise):

Do not undermine your power, your strengths, and your confidence. You only need to get united, as this is the way you can get your rights on permanent basis.