PESHAWAR: Women domestic workers are most affected financially by the Covid-19 pandemic and there’s no law to protect their financial rights as daily-wage workers, says Aurat Foundation that works for the women’s rights in the country.During a ration distribution function in Nishtar Hall here, Saima Munir of AF said under Jazba project, her organisation was providing food packages to 1,200 women workers, including transgenders, in around 40 districts across the country, including eight of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“This is a project about political awareness but when you can’t talk to these people about rights when they face hunger and job loss [due to coronavirus pandemic],” she said.

Ms Saima said 30 women domestic workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s eight districts were provided with food items and personal protective gear.

“We call for a law to protect financial and other rights of domestic workers, who are currently paid badly and treated inhumanely,” she said.

Aurat Foundation distributes food items, protective gear to such women

The AF’s representative said many domestic workers were suddenly told by families to stop coming to work for service of years when lockdown was imposed due to the pandemic and that they’re not financially assited or paid for months.

She said the salary or daily wage of domestic workers were far less than the minimum wage of Rs18,000 announced by the government.

Gul Nazira, a domestic worker from Peshawar, said she had worked for a family for 12 years and was paid Rs8,000 a month.

“I was stopped from work due to the outbreak of coronavirus and didn’t get salary. Now, I have resumed work for being the sole breadwinner of the family,” she said.Transgender person Namkeen said she was happy to receive the food package, which would last a month or so and would help her save money as she was out of work due to a ban on gatherings and wedding functions.

She said financial problems had forced many transgender persons into depression.

The rights activists called for the protection of the rights of domestic women workers.

Labour minister Shaukat Yousafzai, PTI MPA Rabia Basri and other officials were also present in the event and learned about the pandemic-induced financial problems of domestic workers.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2020