LAHORE, May 13: There can be no better present to Pakistani mothers on Mother’s Day than implementing laws to provide them a safe working environment at home and workplace, say women rights activists in their statements on Mother’s Day on Sunday.

“Women (most of them mothers as well) face problems both at home as well work,” All Pakistan Trade Union Secretary General Rubina Jamil told Dawn.

“At home, they face the wrath of their husbands on some domestic reasons and at work problems such as sexual harassment, underpaid jobs and non-provision of medical and transport facilities haunt them,” she said, adding that a mother in Pakistan was not empowered to decide to adopt birth control over health issues.

She said that unluckily the women in Pakistan’s feudalistic and man dominated society were also deprived of their due share in inheritance. She said the Holy Quran gave importance to the rights of mothers.

Bonded Labour Liberation Front Secretary-General Syeda Ghulam Fatima said mothers working at brick kilns were the most victimized segment of society. “They are living in a very pathetic situation,” she said in a statement.

She demanded that the government provide rights to kiln workers in the light of various ILO conventions the country had ratified them. She also urged the quarters concerned to achieve the target of maintaining health of mothers and their babies under the Millennium Development Goals.