- Lawrence Road, Jinnah Town, Lahore
- (042) 3631 3186
- Info@homenetpakistan.org
| Name of Organization: | HomeNet Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Country of Registration: | Pakistan |
| Type of Legal entity: | NGO |
| Name of Contact Person for this Proposal: | Ume-Laila Azhar |
| Address: |
HO: 2-B LDA Flats, Garden View Apartments, Lawrence Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan Sub Office Karachi: Sub office KP: HomeNet Pakistan sub Office: Sardar Colony, Murree road, House no 297/-CB- Abbottabad Cantt. Naheem Khan Colony, Near Masjid Ibrahim Khalil Ullah GT Road Haripur. |
| Phone: | +92-42-36313186 & +92-42-36313187 |
| Fax: | +92-42-36282989 |
| Email: |
Info@homenetpakistan.org, lailazharali@gmail.com; ed@homenetpkaistan.org |
Organizational Background:
Vision: HomeNet Pakistan is a membership-based network, comprising of membership-based organizations representing the majority of home based workers across Pakistan. HomeNet Pakistan envisions a society in which home based workers are ensured visibility, recognition, legaland social protection, and a decent standard of living.
Mission: HomeNet Pakistan, as a member of HomeNet South Asia, strives to empower home based workers to realize their economic, political and social rights through the strengthening of their respective organizations, adoption of fair trade practices, resulting in the improvement of
their working and living conditions, thus ensuring that home based workers have security of income, and participation in governance related to their concerns and livelihood. HomeNet Pakistan, a member of HomeNet South Asia, comprises of membership-based organizations that represent the majority of home based workers across Pakistan. Being registered under Societies Act 1860 Registration number RL/2525/L/S/05 in year 2005, the HomeNet Pakistan (HNP) comprised of network of 360 home based worker’s organizations, demonstrating 50,000 women members from 50 districts of Pakistan. Mandate of formed organizations are to raise awareness regarding economic, social, domestic and worst working conditions of 70% of home-based women workers working in informal sector but contributing significantly towards the country’s economic activities. The organization envisions a society in which home based workers are ensured visibility, recognition, legal and social protection, and a decent standard of living. Mission of the organization is to empower home based workers by realizing their economic, political and social rights through strengthening of their representative organization, adoption of fair trade practices, improvement of decent working and living condition, ensured security of income, and civic participation in governance related matters and their livelihood.
HomeNet Pakistan believes that women working in informal economy need to be recognized as workers. They must be considered as producers and artisans whichis possible only by imparting skill development training, introducing improved technologies, ensuring direct access to credit schemes, effective marketing opportunities of their products and implementing trade/labor policy. The focused areas ofHNP includes policy watch, advocacy andresearch for effective legislation, capacity and leadership development, information development and dissemination. Major activities undertaken by the organization includes the following.
- • Researches and surveys
- • Awareness Raising at three levels
- • Legal and rights Awareness
- • Advocacy, lobbying with Parliamentarians, Media, women councilors, lawyers, GOP and relevant stakeholders
- • Leadership development
- • Enterprise development
- • Economic and livelihood related services
• Referral service VAWs , marriage dissolution , child custody , harassment , etc.
• Job placement
• Complaint mechanism for work and community related issues
• Linking up with micro financing institutes
• Welfare for women and girl child
HomeNet Pakistan is a national level organization, working across the Pakistan on the subject of mobilizing and organizing the home based workers (HBWs) and their visibility. With its head office located in Lahore the HNP is strongly rooted in Sindh through its regional office located in Karachi. At district level, HNP is present through its formed District Action Committees (DAC). At national and international level the organization works through its alliances and networks.
Since 2005, the organization is busy in organizing and mobilizing home based workers organizations and home workers themselves. This process initially started after 2005 realizing the fact that collecting statistics would provide sound grounds for advocating for laws and policies for these home workers and specifically women workers who are major contributor of national economy.
Strategic Programmes of Organization
1. Programme for organizing, strengthening and sensitizing women workers for Grass RootsAction and Organization:
- • The programme focuses on building the capacity of women workers, particularly those in home based and other informal settings including domestic workers, to organize themselves into collective entities.
- • The programme also involves establishing and strengthening grassroots organizations or MBOs (cooperatives) to provide a platform for women workers to voice their concerns and advocate for their rights collectively.
- • Activities udder this program may include conducting training sessions on leadership skills, collective bargaining, campaigning and organizational management.
• It aims to raise awareness among women workers about their rights, labor laws and the benefits of collective action.
2. Programme for Strengthening Citizens’ for Advocacy and Action:
- • The programme encourages collaboration and partnership between different stakeholders, including civil society organizations, local governments, and academic institutions, to amplify advocacy efforts.
- This programtargets broader community engagement and mobilization beyond just women workers.
- • It aims to empower citizens, including men and women from various sectors of society, to advocate for policies and actions that support the rights and welfare of home-based workers and other informal economy.
- • Activities may include community workshops, awareness campaigns, and advocacy training to equip citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective advocacy.
3. Programme for Affirmative Legislation and Policies:
- • The programme focuses on advocating for the development and implementation of laws, policies, and regulations that recognize and protect the rights of home-based workers and informal workers.
- • The programme seeks to address gaps in existing legal frameworks and promote affirmative action measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of home-based workers.
- • It involves research, analysis, and lobbying efforts to influence lawmakers and policymakers at various levels of government.
- • Activities may include drafting policy briefs, organizing policy dialogues, and participating in legislative hearings to advocate for specific reforms.
4. Programme for Economic Empowerment, Financial Inclusion and Sustainable livelihoods:
- • The programme aims to enhance the economic well-being and financial resilience of home-based workers through various interventions.
• It may include providing access to financial services such as microcredit, savings, and insurance schemes tailored to the needs of home-based workers.
• The programme also focuses on skill development training, entrepreneurship support, and market linkages to help home-based workers improve their productivity and income-generating opportunities.
• Additionally, it promotes sustainable livelihood practices that consider environmental sustainability and social equity, ensuring that economic empowerment efforts benefit both current and future generations of home-based workers.
5. Programme for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sustainability Governance,
and Climate Justice:
- • The programme aligns the organization’s activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework to promote sustainable and inclusive development.
• It emphasizes the integration of environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic prosperity in all aspects of the organization’s work.
• Activities under this program may include conducting assessments to identify the organization’s contribution to specific SDGs, developing strategies to address priority areas, and monitoring progress towards achieving SDG targets.
Description of past and present experience and relationships of Organization. Relevant collaborative efforts the organization participated:
The organization has implemented the following projects to date:
- • Advocacy for HBW Policy; SDF; 2008-2010.
• Training on Association Formation, Mennonite Economic Development Association (MEDA), 27 September,2010 to 28 Feb,2011
• Empowering Home-based Women Workers, International Labour Organization (ILO), and 15 July 2010 to 28 February 2011.
• Extending Support to HBWs Policy Process in the post devolution scenario in Pakistan, ILO, Jan till Dec 2012
• Media Campaign for Home-based Workers, UN Women, September 2010 to October 2011
• Stakeholder’s consultation on Policies and legislation for HBWs; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; June 2012- Dec 2012.
• Partners in Global Monitoring Research; WEIGO; August 2011-August 2013
• Assist unions and worker rights organizations in organizing and advocating for the rights of informal economy workers; Solidarity Center; April – 30 July 2012.
• Empowering HBWs “A project for Kite Makers”; The Asia Foundation; July’2012 –May’2013
• World Class Cities for All IUP (Inclusive Urban Project) , HomeNet South Asia, 1 April 2010 to Dec 2014
• Adopting and implementation of HBWs policy and legislation, UN Women, May 2014 to Nov 2015
• Advocacy and organizing of Domestic workers , Plan Pakistan , Jan’ 2013 – 15th Aug’ 2014
• Awareness raising & Policy advocacy on women rights for women worker, GEP, April 2014 to Aug 2015
• Influencing Home Based Workers Policy For Women, Oxfam GB, July 2014 to March 2015
• Influencing Home Based Workers Policy For Women (Phase II),OXFAM GB , April 2015 to March 2016
• Influencing HBWs Policy for Women (Phase III), OXFAM GB, April 2016 to March 2017
• Protection of Social &Economic Rights of urban HBWs, UUSC, April 2016-Feb 2017
• Policy and Practice for women HBWs and DWs rights in Sindh and Punjab; Oxfam; 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 (Sindh & Punjab).
• Women2030 Sub-grant for National Monitoring ofthe Sustainable Development Goals and
Development Justice 2020- 2021, supported by APWLD.
• Hidden Workers-Improving Transparency and Traceability to improve working conditions
of Home workers in Apparel and Footwear chain (Sindh) April’ 2020 – September’ 2022
supported by HomeNet South, Traidcraft, Home workers worldwide & European commission.
• Financial Inclusion of Home-based Workers’ Enterprises through Business Booster Loan and Trainings (FBLT) 2022-2025
• Awareness on inheritance and property rights and HBWs law. Supported by Legal Aid Society- US
State Department Jan –Aug 2023
• Employable capacity development for women. TNA assessment of Female employees &
HBWs in textile supported SKY JICA ( 2023)
Relevance of Specialized Knowledge and Experience on Similar Projects
HomeNet Pakistan was established for the advocacy of Home based workers and ever since it has successfully carried out the process for providing a platform for home based workers across country and strengthen its members , home based worker and CSO for advocating for the HBWs rights . It has successfully created an enabling environment for home based workers to carry out advocacy and lobbying efforts for improved policy regime for the recognition and protection of the rights of HBWs. The policy process on HBWs is having increased recognition and acceptance through legislative and administrative actions in terms of legal equality.
As a result of this project there has been strengthened the networking and advocacy for moving towards creating visibility of HBWs and bringing consensus among stakeholders consider mainstreaming of HBWs essential for economic growth and development. Resultantly the processes facilitated the development of three provincial HBWs’ policies, four laws for homebased workers , frameworks, and economic strategies around HBWs skilled work thus increasing the productivity, market, linkages and ultimately affecting their livelihoods seeking decent working standards.
The processes further facilitated in taking up issues of other important segments in the informal economy. Since 2010 onwards, with provision of information on domestic workers to ILO for ILO C 189, HNP took up the task of advocacy for DWs in Pakistan. Groups were formed which later were mobilized and unionized. DWs were sensitized on rights and issues like occupational health and safety. Advocacy on DWs rights supported in development of law for DWs at the federal level, Policy in Punjab and legislation in Punjab on DWs.
Organization have linkages with International networks for the promotion of workers, HBWs and informal workers’ rights have further supported the organization to develop implement the up surging areas of concerns for workers protection. Issues like that of women Economic empowerment , Provincial economic strategy , gender policies , fair representation women, increase in women quota, minimum wage, living wage, occupationalsafety and health, micro level entrepreneurship and frameworks for social protection have been the top priority advocacy agenda points.
Some of the key impacts of the organization are mentioned below:
- • Increased participation of the excluded women home based workers at district, provincial, national level, and regional level enabling them to play roles that are more robust in decision-making as leaders.
• Enhanced capacity of the HBWs leaders and DWs leaders, MBOs’ diversity of potential and strengthen the capacity of local MBOs to earn decent livelihoods.
• Enabled community members to network constructively together in inclusive ways to demand improved market linkages, service delivery and to address their local issues.
• There is a district, provincial and national based network of HBWs and relevant stakeholders to develop a robust evidence base to stimulate debate and dialogue for their recognition as workers build popular demand for reforms and changes in labour legislation for social and legal protection of HBWs.
• Increased ownership of the Provincial labour and human resource department, women development and other relevant line departments for HBWs and DWs policy and law implementation.
• Improved capacity of HomeNet Pakistan and its members in policy advocacy.
• Increased volume of product development for strengthening of women workers including HBW, DW on legal political and pro women laws.
• Inclusive Programmatic approach of women economic empowerment through practice and planning.
• Inclusion of other vulnerable groups including people with youth in conflicting areas, disability, transgender in the WEE program.
Memberships/Affiliation:
- • Asian Social Solidarity Economy (ASSEC)
• Asian Roundtable for Social Protection (AROSP)
• Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN)
• Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
• Clean Cloth Campaign (CCC)
• HomeNet South Asia (HNSA)
• HomeNet International (HNI)
• Global Solidarity Economy forum (GESF)
• Ethical Trade Initiatives (ETI)
• Local Resource network (LRN)
• Pakistan Development Alliance on SDGs (PDA)
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