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Business Recorder
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Wage employment: Women in Pakistan earn significantly less than men: study
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women in wage employment earn significantly less than men —by approximately 25 to 30 percent, depending on the wage metric. The disparity is especially stark in the informal economy, where the gap widens to 40 percent due to limited enforcement of labour laws and lack of protections. This was revealed at the launch of Pakistan's Gender Pay Gap Report. Stakeholders on this occasion unanimously agreed on short, medium, and long-term objectives and jointly developed a National Action Plan to address the gender pay gap. Participants emphasised that closing these disparities can increase women's labour force participation and drive inclusive economic growth. The national workshop — organised by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) — brought together policymakers, employers, workers' representatives, and technical experts to identify practical policy and legal reforms to promote equal pay and wage equity. It identifies key drivers of this gap, including occupational segregation, informal work, and discriminatory practices. Crucially, much of the gap remains unexplained by observable factors such as education, skills, or occupation—pointing to deep-rooted, systemic inequality. While Pakistan has made some progress, narrowing the gap from 33 per cent in 2018, it continues to lag behind regional peers. Alongside a detailed legal and policy review, the report offers actionable recommendations for aligning Pakistan's labour legislation with ILO standards, particularly the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No 100). The findings aim to support national stakeholders—government, employers, and workers—in crafting coordinated strategies to reduce the gender pay gap and advance social justice in the world of work. The event convened policymakers, employers, workers' organizations, members of minimum wage boards, labour inspectors, the national statistics institution, and academia to explore structural barriers that confine women to low-paying roles and limit their career progression. In his keynote address, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, federal secretary MOPHRD, stated Pakistan is committed to ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. This report and action plan mark a critical step towards unpacking the barriers that hold women back in the economy. This will help Pakistan move progressively against its obligations as part of the ratified ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration (1951) and Convention 111 on Discrimination (1958). Geir Tonstol, ILO Country Director for Pakistan, said, 'This workshop marks a pivotal step forward—from diagnosing the causes of the gender pay gap to developing a national action plan grounded in practical, scalable solutions. We now have the evidence, the commitment, and the partnerships to move from promise to practice. The ILO stands ready to support Pakistan in advancing fair and transparent wage-setting systems, formalising informal work, and creating real opportunities for women across all sectors.' Xavier Estupinan, wage specialist at ILO Decent Work Team, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said, 'The report highlights the 'sticky floor' effect—where women are stuck in low-paid, low-mobility jobs, particularly in the informal economy. Addressing this requires adequate wage-setting mechanisms and meaningful social dialogue. Supporting women's transition to formal work is essential if we are to reduce wage gaps and ensure fairer, more inclusive labour markets.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ILO report flags 25% gender pay gap in Pakistan, highlights barriers to women's economic participation
Women in wage employment earn substantially lower wages than their male counterparts in Pakistan , according to a new report launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Dawn reported. The ' Pakistan Gender Pay Gap Report 2025 ' estimates the gender pay gap at approximately 25 per cent based on hourly wages and 30 per cent based on monthly wages. The gender pay gap in Pakistan is also significant by international standards. In comparison, lower-middle-income countries, the income group Pakistan falls under, have an average gender pay gap of 21% based on monthly wages and 17% based on hourly wages, Dawn stated. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology Degree Data Science Others others Public Policy Management Artificial Intelligence Design Thinking Product Management Cybersecurity Healthcare Digital Marketing Project Management MBA Leadership Data Science PGDM Data Analytics healthcare MCA Finance CXO Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details While launching the report, Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read More He said the report and accompanying action plan represent a vital step towards identifying and addressing the barriers that hinder women's participation in the economy. "This would support Pakistan in progressively fulfilling its obligations under the ratified ILO Convention on Equal Remuneration and the Convention on Discrimination," Dawn quoted him as saying. ILO Country Director Geir Tonstol also reiterated institutional support for the cause. "We now have the evidence, the commitment, and the partnerships to move from promise to practice. The ILO stands ready to support Pakistan in advancing fair and transparent wage-setting systems, formalising informal work, and creating real opportunities for women across all sectors," Dawn reported. Live Events Alongside a large gender pay gap, the report highlights that women's employment remains limited in Pakistan. In 2021, women's employment rate was around 23% compared to 79% for men, a gender employment gap of 56 percentage points, one of the highest in the South Asia region, Dawn noted. This means that Pakistani women are substantially less likely than men to have paid jobs and that, even when they are in wage employment, women earn substantially less, the report said. The report also finds that women account for just 13.5% of employees in Pakistan. However, Dawn reported that data showed women in wage employment are more likely than men to have a high level of education. In addition, Dawn reported that women employees are more likely than men to work in the public sector, in formal employment, and jobs with permanent contracts, professional occupations, and larger firms.
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
ILO holds webinar to mark International Nurses' Day: Need for promoting gender-responsive healthcare systems stressed
ISLAMABAD: The International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director to Pakistan, Geir Tonstol, Monday, highlighting the serious gap in Pakistan's nurse-to-population ratio of just 0.5 per 1,000, called for greater investment and policy reforms to address workforce shortages and promote gender-responsive healthcare systems. The ILO director said this while addressing at a webinar titled, 'Decent Work for Nurses – Investing in Safety and Economic Growth,' organised by ILO to mark the International Nurses Day 2025. The event brought together representatives from key institutions including the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations, and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Tonstol paid tribute to nurses as the backbone of the healthcare system and champions of the care economy. He emphasised that decent work for nurses must include fair pay, safe and respectful workplaces, social protection, career growth, and the right to freedom of association. Tonstol also highlighted ILO's contributions through the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health Programme in Pakistan and reaffirmed the organization's support to the Government of Pakistan in the ratification of ILO Convention 149. Musarrat Rani, Midwifery Association Pakistan, shed light on the multiple challenges nurses face in Pakistan—including high turnover, poor working conditions, and gender-based barriers to leadership. She said that migration of the workforce due to burn out and lack of support has led to a shortage of 1.3 million nurses in the country. She appreciated the initiative of the implementation of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Policy Framework (2023–2035) and recent reforms under the PNMC Act and called for stronger partnerships with organizations like the ILO, more budgetary support for the capacity building of nurses, and the empowerment of professional associations to safeguard the future of the profession. Dr Sabeen Afzal, Director Regulations Health Ministry, presented the government's vision to close the nursing workforce gap and improve healthcare delivery. She reported a 29 percent increase in nursing institutions and growing youth interest in the profession. Yet, she acknowledged persistent issues, including faculty shortages, weak quality assurance, and urban-centric deployment. Dr Afzal highlighted that the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Policy Framework (2023–2035) is a strategic response to these challenges, focusing on four key pillars: governance and regulation, education and training, labour market dynamics, and quality assurance. She also shared the Ministry's Enhancement Roadmap, which includes expanding nursing education infrastructure, introducing evening shifts, offering more scholarships, and enabling international employment through Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and The Netherlands, National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) preparation, and targeted training. Maren Hopfe, technical officer, health service sector from ILO Geneva, provided an overview of key international labour standards relevant to the nursing sector. She highlighted the importance of the Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No 149)and the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No 190)in healthcare settings and promoted the ratification of both conventions to strengthen national frameworks that uphold workers' rights, ensure safe and decent working conditions, and protect health and care workers against violence and harassment. Rabia Razzaque, Senior Programme Officer at ILO Pakistan presented the findings of a legal gap analysis comparing Pakistan's laws with ILO Convention 149, which was conducted with the support of the ILO-OECD-WHO Working for Health Programme. She noted that while the new nursing policy incorporates some articles of the convention, existing frameworks are fragmented and do not sufficiently cover private sector or voluntary nursing roles. She emphasized the need for a unified, inclusive policy that ensures fair working conditions, professional development, and collective bargaining rights for nurses aligned with international labour standards. Rabia Razzaque also advocated for the integration of occupational safety and health (OSH) protections, especially given the increased risks faced by nurses during health emergencies like COVID-19, emphasising that a safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. Concluding the session, Raja Shahroze Abbas (MOPHRD) reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to advancing decent work for nurses, both domestically and abroad. The representative confirmed that the ratification of Convention 149 is a priority and that stakeholder consultations will be launched. Updates were also shared on efforts to align nursing education with international standards, develop targeted certification pathways with National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and map international labour markets to facilitate safe and structured migration through the Overseas Employment Corporation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
