National Gender Sensitive Labour Inspection Database Launched by the Government
The Gender Sensitive Labour Inspection System (GSIS) web portal has been developed under the ILO’s project on ‘Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment’ (GE4DE), as part of its work with provincial governments’ Departments of Labour (DOL) to mainstream gender in labour inspection. The system is aimed at assisting the Labour Inspectors in their routine inspections by providing measurable indicators for gauging progress against gender-inclusive target.
2 September 2015
ISLAMABAD (ILO News): The Departments of Labour of Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan and KP came together to launch the first online portal and database on labour inspection at an event at the ILO Building in Islamabad, with the Canadian High Commissioner, Ms Heather Cruden, as the Chief Guest. The online portal, for the first time, brings together information about registered labour factories, inspection staff, inspections conducted, and most importantly, uses this information to track trends and measure performance and progress. All the information is sex-disaggregated and the reports analyse gender differences such as wage discrimination between women and men or the incidence of child labour.
The online portal, has been developed by the ILO under its project on Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE), funded by the Canadian Government. It began with an analysis of how conventional labour inspection tools and processes often overlooked the needs and experiences of women in the workplace, and then worked to address this flaw through the development of a gender mainstreamed checklist covering all the provisions of the labour laws, training of users and finally the development of the database.
The Gender Focal Persons from the Provincial Departments of Labour presented an overview of the process and took the audience through the main features of the website and the labour inspection checklist. Mr Gulfam Memon-Additional Director, Department of Labour, Sindh, explaining the feedback from labour inspectors on using the new checklist shared that the labour inspectors found it to be a far more streamlined and easy to use, “It brings together information from the whole labour code, including more than 70 labour laws, which are very difficult to recall just from memory, into one simple, themed checklist.” Mr Tahir Manzoor, Director, Department of Labour, Punjab, highlighted the main features of the web portal, including the capacity to generate reports on different themes, such as wages, occupational safety and health, or by factory, or by province.
“The reports that can be generated from this database are very important for the ILO and the government, as they are evidence of the compliance with labour laws and international labour standards that promote decent work”, explained Mr Francesco d’Ovidio, Country Director of the ILO.
The presentation was followed by a discussion with a panel of experts to get the perspective of employers, workers and government on gender responsive labour inspection. Ms Zahida ParveenChair Person - Women’s Committee of Pakistan Workers’ Federationsaid “Initiatives like these not only help address the issue of Gender Inequality among the labour force, but also help make the management answerable to higher authorities.”
Ms Shahida Saleem Head of Women’sCommittee – Employers’ Federation of Pakistan welcomed the introduction of the gender responsive labour inspection checklist and website. She said it helped promote transparency in government working, and would also help employers understand, in a simple way, what their obligations are under law.
The Country Director ILO, Mr Francesco d’Ovidio, closed the discussion by appreciating this important first step in reforming the labour administration in the country and thanking the government of Canada for their support to social and economic development in Pakistan.
Programme Officer (Communication)
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Email
Tel: +92 51 2276456-8
The online portal, has been developed by the ILO under its project on Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE), funded by the Canadian Government. It began with an analysis of how conventional labour inspection tools and processes often overlooked the needs and experiences of women in the workplace, and then worked to address this flaw through the development of a gender mainstreamed checklist covering all the provisions of the labour laws, training of users and finally the development of the database.
The Gender Focal Persons from the Provincial Departments of Labour presented an overview of the process and took the audience through the main features of the website and the labour inspection checklist. Mr Gulfam Memon-Additional Director, Department of Labour, Sindh, explaining the feedback from labour inspectors on using the new checklist shared that the labour inspectors found it to be a far more streamlined and easy to use, “It brings together information from the whole labour code, including more than 70 labour laws, which are very difficult to recall just from memory, into one simple, themed checklist.” Mr Tahir Manzoor, Director, Department of Labour, Punjab, highlighted the main features of the web portal, including the capacity to generate reports on different themes, such as wages, occupational safety and health, or by factory, or by province.
“The reports that can be generated from this database are very important for the ILO and the government, as they are evidence of the compliance with labour laws and international labour standards that promote decent work”, explained Mr Francesco d’Ovidio, Country Director of the ILO.
The presentation was followed by a discussion with a panel of experts to get the perspective of employers, workers and government on gender responsive labour inspection. Ms Zahida ParveenChair Person - Women’s Committee of Pakistan Workers’ Federationsaid “Initiatives like these not only help address the issue of Gender Inequality among the labour force, but also help make the management answerable to higher authorities.”
Ms Shahida Saleem Head of Women’sCommittee – Employers’ Federation of Pakistan welcomed the introduction of the gender responsive labour inspection checklist and website. She said it helped promote transparency in government working, and would also help employers understand, in a simple way, what their obligations are under law.
The Country Director ILO, Mr Francesco d’Ovidio, closed the discussion by appreciating this important first step in reforming the labour administration in the country and thanking the government of Canada for their support to social and economic development in Pakistan.
For further information please contact:
Hiba SiddiquiProgramme Officer (Communication)
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Tel: +92 51 2276456-8