{"id":4666,"date":"2025-07-28T07:44:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T07:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mahmoodtariq.com\/hnp\/?p=4666"},"modified":"2025-08-11T16:55:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T16:55:20","slug":"defining-and-empowering-women-enterprises-microfinance-in-pakistan-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-5-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-3-3-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mahmoodtariq.com\/hnp\/defining-and-empowering-women-enterprises-microfinance-in-pakistan-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-5-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-3-3-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Book of Situation Analysis of the Kite makers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Situation Analysis of the Kite makers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Situational Analysis of the Kite Makers<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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HomeNet Pakistan is a network, comprising of membership-based <\/span>organizations representing the majority of home-based workers (HBWs) <\/span>across Pakistan. HomeNet Pakistan envisions a society in which home-<\/span>based workers are ensured visibility, recognition, legal and social protec<\/span>tion, and a decent standard of living. <\/span>HomeNet Pakistan, as a member of HomeNet South Asia, strives to <\/span>empower home-based workers to realize legal economic, political, and <\/span>social rights by strengthening their respective organizations, adopting <\/span>fair trade practices, resulting in the improvement of their working and <\/span>living conditions, thus ensuring that home-based workers have security <\/span>of income and participation in governance related to their concerns. <\/span>An estimated 50 million people out of 151 million are currently living <\/span>below the poverty line in Pakistan and this level is rising sharply. The <\/span>capacity of the poor to improve their living conditions is constrained by <\/span>their powerlessness within political and social systems and is linked to <\/span>inappropriate government policies, no access to information and <\/span>resources, poor quality of social services, and gender inequality. <\/span>It is also increasingly evident that women and girls in poor house-<\/span>holds bear a disproportionately high share of the burden of poverty. <\/span>Their greater deprivation is due to a host of factors, including restricted <\/span>mobility, lack of education and training, lower access to or ownership of <\/span>resources and assets, and limited access to credit and social services. As a <\/span>result, Pakistani women have limited participation in decision-making in <\/span>all spheres of life – from family to state. <\/span>This is, however, a vicious circle which persists because women have <\/span>no say in decisions affecting their economic and social status in the soci-<\/span>ety. <\/span>Pakistan has a very large informal sector in which 20% growth was <\/span>recorded in 2007. According to a conservative estimate in 2007, out of <\/span>$160 billion size of country\u2019s economy, $32 billion plus is in the informal <\/span>sector. An approximate assessment shows that 32% of the informal work-<\/span><\/span>
force is in the wholesale and retail business, 21% in the manufacturing <\/span>sector, 17.5% in community and social sector, 13.8% in construction and <\/span>11.1% in the transport sector. This estimate includes both urban and rural <\/span>areas. <\/span>The informal sector comprises of small units that produce goods or <\/span>services with the primary objective of generating employment and <\/span>incomes for the families engaged in these activities. Informal activities <\/span>have often been characterized by low levels of capital, skills, diminished <\/span>access to organized markets and technologies; low and unstable incomes <\/span>as well as poor and unpredictable working conditions. Such activities are <\/span>often outside the scope of the government regulations and statistical enu-<\/span>meration, eluding the formal system of social protection. <\/span>The Constitution of Pakistan under article 34 provides \u201cFull participa-tion of women in national life\u201d and \u201cFreedom of trade, business or pro-fession: Subject to such qualifications, if any, as may be provided by law, every citizen shall have the right to enter upon any lawful trade or business\u201d in article 18 and under article 37 provides \u201c………….. Provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work, ensuring that children and women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their age or sex,
and for maternity benefits for women in employment\u201d. Thus entitles every citizen of Pakistan to have access to opportunities
and resources. There has been lack of progress in reducing gender inequalities, particularly due to weak political commitment and gender-blind macroeconomic frameworks. The bitter fact is that 50 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, rate of inflation exceeds 22 per cent, interest rate is 17 per cent in practical terms and half of the popula-tion is deprived of social services.
The \u201cSituational Analysis of Kite makers: A Pilot study\u201d by Kishwar Sultana commissioned by The Asia Foundation , has been done with a view to examine the effect of the ban on the women home based workers in the kite-making industry in Lahore and Jhang. The ban on kite-making resulted in these women being largely unemployed. The women home based workers involved in kite making being unskilled in other areas, are the ones suffering economically, socially due to the ban on \u201ckite flying\u201d. The purpose of this analysis is to (i) examine the current (post-ban) situation of women kite-makers, (ii) underline the economic disparities, economic situation and vulnerabilities including the level of exploitation of the women workers (iii) make recommendations for enhancing social and economic status of the workers involved in the kite-making sector\/trade and (iv) suggest actions for policy makers and relevant stakeholders to revitalize the sector.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Ume Laila Azhar<\/span><\/strong>
HomeNet, Pakistan<\/span>
April 2013<\/span>

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Table of Contents<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Background ……………………………………..3<\/span><\/div>
Summary…………………………………………..5<\/span>
Women in Kite-making Industry…………………………..7<\/span>
Kite Making Process……………………………………13<\/span>
Ban on Kite-making…………………………………….14<\/span>
Stakeholders Views …………………………………….16<\/span>
Recommendations……………………………………..23<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Background<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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According to a draft of the Pakistan Government’s national policy on home <\/span>based workers there are 8.52 million home based workers in the country, of <\/span>which 65% are female. They contribute to the country’s economic growth; Pak<\/span>istan accounts for 80% of the world’s match-grade footballs and earns nearly $ <\/span>50 million in foreign exchange from this industry alone. <\/span>A majority of female home-based workers in Pakistan are piece-rate work-<\/span>ers. They receive work from subcontractors or intermediaries and are paid per <\/span>piece- according to the number of items produced. These women workers usu<\/span>ally come from lower or lower middle income background and from various <\/span>age groups. <\/span>These workers generally have little or no education. Young girls of age six to <\/span>fourteen work and help their mothers in making and finishing the tasks <\/span>assigned to them by the middleman against extremely low wages, even after <\/span>working 12-16 hours a day under conditions that are harsh, unhealthy, and <\/span>often hazardous. <\/span>According to ILO convention C177, a home worker or home-based worker is <\/span>a person who works within the home boundaries, or in any other premises of\u00a0<\/span>his\/her choice, but excluding the premises of the employer’s or contractor’s <\/span>workplace, for remuneration or monetary returns, and is self-employed or does <\/span>piece-rate, own-account, or contract work, which results in a product or ser<\/span>vices as specified by the employer\/contractor. <\/span>The factors affecting home based workers in Pakistan have been well delin<\/span>ated in a number of studies and reports.<\/span> Some of the key factors are summa<\/span>rized below<\/span>\u00a0Women in Pakistan have to deal with various levels of oppression based<\/span>
on class, sex, ethnicity, religion, illiteracy, etc., which makes them more suscep<\/span>tible to inauspicious economic and social conditions in the country.<\/span> For exam<\/span>ple, the growing religious militancy, particularly in the tribal areas and some <\/span>parts of NWFP and Southern Punjab, is negatively impacting women’s autono<\/span>my and mobility, forcing them to resort to home-based work for security rea<\/span>sons.<\/span>\u00a0Globalization, liberalization and structural adjustment leading to privati<\/span>zation of the public sector has fuelled inflation and pushed more people into <\/span>the informal sector, forcing women to supplement household incomes by work<\/span>ing in the informal sector for meagre returns, and generating profits for compa<\/span>nies\/corporations seeking cheap labour and tax evasions.<\/span> The negative\u00a0<\/span>impacts of globalization were most evident in the recent global financial melt<\/span>down when inflation in Pakistan surged to 25%, resulting in increasing pover<\/span>ty. <\/span>Background <\/span>Situational Analysis of the Kite Makers <\/span>1<\/span> Draft on national policy on home based workers<\/span><\/div>
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According to figures released by the Pakistan Institute of Development Eco<\/span>nomics (PIDE) there are 8.52 million HBWs representing 65% of the women work <\/span>force in the country (compared to only 4% for men). In the urban informal sector, <\/span>78.1 per cent of women work in diverse sectors which are mostly home-based, <\/span>piece-rate or casual workers on exploitative wages.<\/span> However, women workers <\/span>are invisible in national statistics due to definitional problems, socio-cultural con<\/span>straints, gender biases, flaws in sample sizes and data collection methods.<\/span>\u00a0Factories, industries and small businesses trying to cut down on the cost <\/span>of production and labour outsource work to women to seek cheap labour. This <\/span>is outside the ambit of any legislation, leading to exploitative conditions for <\/span>workers, e.g. no legal or written contracts, low rates, poor working conditions <\/span>and exposure to occupational hazards (often with negative health consequences <\/span>and health-related expenses), boring and repetitive work, long hours, no health <\/span>care or health insurance, no old age benefits, absorbing overhead costs of pro<\/span>duction, delayed payments, deductions from payments, no protection against <\/span>loss of income or assets, etc. <\/span>Seasonal availability and transient nature of work forces women to work <\/span>on piece-rate basis on different types of sub-contracted work, often involving <\/span>other family members, including children, with girls sometimes giving up their <\/span>education to help their families.<\/span>\u00a0Lack of mobility due to restrictions imposed by patriarchal norms and tra<\/span>ditions reinforces the gender division of labour, prevents women from entering <\/span>the formal economy and forces them to work in a totally unregulated and <\/span>home-based economy, prevents women from getting organized, develop skills, <\/span>or have an independent access to markets and other resources that can help <\/span>them graduate to other types of work. <\/span>With regard to the Laws and Policies for Home Based Workers ; Constitu<\/span>tional guarantees for gender equality (equality of employment, equal access to <\/span>public services), provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work, <\/span>lack a statutory cover through special laws to protect women, due to lack of <\/span>government capacities and coordinated and systematic efforts, corruption, and <\/span>retrogressive legislative amendments through ordinances with an anti-labour, <\/span>pro-capital and pro-international finance bias. <\/span>Pakistan has ratified CEDAW and several ILO conventions related to <\/span>women and work, but has not given them a statutory cover. It has still not rati<\/span>fied the ILO Home Work Convention C177, 1996. Despite the presence of over <\/span>70 labour laws home-based workers are not covered by any labour legislation<\/span>
or administration due to out-dated policies, duplication of efforts and weak<\/span>nesses in implementation mechanisms. <\/span>There are no local laws or rules to support these workers. They are not even <\/span>recognized as a labor force despite existing labor laws in the country. Labor <\/span>protection, social security coverage and provision of safety and health services <\/span>and benefits are not extended to them. They are unable to access the services, <\/span>facilities, rights and benefits, including a fair remuneration under national <\/span>laws. Women workers in the kite-making sector are no exception. <\/span>Situational Analysis of the Kite Makers<\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Summary<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The objective of this study is to <\/span>examine the effect of the ban on the <\/span>women workers in the kite-making <\/span>industry, and offer recommendations <\/span>to improve their rapidly deteriorating <\/span>quality of life. The ban on kite-making <\/span>resulted in these women being largely <\/span>unemployed. Being unskilled in other <\/span>areas, they were the ones who bore the <\/span>economic brunt of the ban.\u00a0<\/span>This study aims to recommend <\/span>means of enhancing the social and eco<\/span>nomic status of these workers and giv<\/span>ing suggestions to policy makers and <\/span>relevant stakeholders for nurturing bet<\/span>ter conditions for the kite-making sec<\/span>tor as an organized source of income <\/span>generation. The purpose of this analysis <\/span>is to (i) examine the current (post-ban) <\/span>situation of women kite-makers, (ii) <\/span>underline the economic disparities, eco<\/span>nomic situation and vulnerabilities <\/span>including the level of exploitation of <\/span>the women workers (iii) make recom<\/span>mendations for enhancing social and <\/span>economic<\/span> status<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> workers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>involved<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> kite-making <\/span><\/span>sector\/trade and (iv) suggest actions <\/span>for policy makers and relevant stake-<\/span>holders to revitalize the sector. <\/span>To compile this study, Home Net <\/span>selected two districts, Lahore and <\/span>Jhang, in Punjab where ex-kite-makers <\/span>can be found. This study aims to high-<\/span>light the socio-economic vulnerabilities <\/span>of the female kite-making labor force in <\/span>Lahore and Jhang. Kite-makers from <\/span>Lahore and Jhang are the subjects for <\/span>the compilation of this report. Informa<\/span>tion in this report has been acquired <\/span>through Key Informant Interviews of <\/span>key stakeholders including dealers, <\/span>shopkeepers, and kite flyers.<\/span> In-Depth <\/span><\/span>Interviews (IDIs), Focus Group Discussions, observations from concerned forums highlighting conditions of kite-makers and the role and policies of authorities concerned, secondary data (such as news items, rules and policies) <\/span>have been used to prepare this situa<\/span>tional analysis. <\/span>This study also examines the pro<\/span>duction and consumption process (time <\/span>Involved in processing kites, buyers, <\/span>terms and conditions for processing the\u00a0<\/span>products, frequency of orders for the <\/span>products, process involved in the sale <\/span>of products, prices or incomes from the<\/span>
product, mode of payments, margins <\/span>and<\/span> profits<\/span> for<\/span> kite-makers),<\/span> the <\/span>involvement of family members in kite<\/span>making, and related issues of employa<\/span>bility, harassment, increase in the vul<\/span>nerability and violence.<\/span> It provides an <\/span>overview of how the kite-making <\/span>despite being an informal sector of <\/span>economy has been largely contributing <\/span>in the economy of Pakistan. It explains <\/span>how with this informal sector of economic <\/span>my thousands of people in Pakistan as <\/span>home<\/span> based<\/span> workers<\/span> particularly <\/span>women were associated and used to <\/span>earn their livings from this sector. This <\/span>brief study will explain the kite-making <\/span>process, the labor involved, wages, and <\/span>living conditions of those workers, <\/span>demands and aspirations of those\u00a0<\/span>workers. It will examine how the ban <\/span>affected the already vulnerable home-<\/span>based workers financially, psychologi<\/span>cally and socially. It will examine the <\/span>ban, and related petitions, court orders, <\/span>government\u2019s stance on the entire issue,\u00a0<\/span>losses and benefits involved in the kite-<\/span>making industry. This situational <\/span>analysis will provide an overview of <\/span>the relevant laws banning of the cultur <\/span>al event in question and kite-making, <\/span>besides giving an understanding on <\/span>court orders. It will represent key <\/span>stakeholder voices from the sector in <\/span>question and examine how their lives <\/span>have changed due to the bans and what <\/span>expectations and aspirations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Profile of Jhang<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jhang District is a district of the Punjab <\/span>province of Pakistan. The city of Jhang is <\/span>the district’s capital. According to the 1998<\/span>
census of Pakistan, the district’s popula<\/span>tion was 2.8 million, of which 23 percent <\/span>lived in urban areas. By 2008, according <\/span>to estimates, the population had risen to <\/span>3.5 million. The native language is Pun<\/span>jabi,[5] though Urdu is also spoken in edu<\/span>cational institutions.<\/span><\/div>

Jhang District covers 8,809 km. almost <\/span>all the area is cultivatable land except in <\/span>the north near Rabwah and Chenab Nagar <\/span>where the land turns rocky as it approach<\/span>es the Kirana hills. The western portion of <\/span>the district holds the Thal Desert, which <\/span>starts in Mari Shah Sakhira and extends to <\/span>banks of the Jhelum River far to the west <\/span>in the districts of Khushab and Bhakkar. <\/span>There is also an area known as the Sandal <\/span>Bar arising from Pabbarwala near the <\/span>Gujranwala boundary. “Bar”, in the local L<\/span>anguage, means a forested area where <\/span>there are no resources for cultivation, like <\/span>water. This area used to be forested and <\/span>was unable to be cultivated before British<\/span>
colonial rule, when a canal system was <\/span>installed near the town of Lyallpur (now <\/span>Faisalabad), which is now the textile indus<\/span>try hub of Pakistan. Between the rivers <\/span>Jhelum and Chenab is also a small area of <\/span>Kirana bar, ending at Ghoriwala village. <\/span>The area alongside the banks of rivers <\/span>Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum is called Hitthar <\/span>(area in which flood water reaches), while <\/span>the upland area between the bars and Hit- <\/span>that is called Utar.<\/span>

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Profile of Lahore<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lahore is a district in the Punjab <\/span>province of Pakistan that contains the city <\/span>of Lahore, the district and provincial capi<\/span>tal. The total area is 1,772 square kilome<\/span>tres (684 sq mi). According to the 1998 <\/span>census, the population was 6,318,745, of <\/span>which 81.17% were urban. <\/span>In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi,<\/span>
took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire <\/span>established by his father, Sultan Sebukte<\/span>gin, In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in<\/span>
Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the con<\/span>quests of Punjab region. The Delhi Sul<\/span>tanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the<\/span>
region. The Punjab region became pre-<\/span>dominantly Muslim due to missionary <\/span>Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the land-<\/span>scape of Punjab region. After the decline <\/span>of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded <\/span>and occupied Lahore District. The Mus<\/span>lims faced severe restrictions during the <\/span>Sikh rule. During the period of British <\/span>rule, Lahore district increased in popula<\/span>tion and importance. <\/span>The Sikhs owned upto 67% of the <\/span>Land In Lahore District, the tehsils of <\/span>Lahore and chunian were predominantly<\/span>
Sikh. <\/span>The predominantly Muslim population <\/span>supported Muslim League and Pakistan <\/span>Movement. After the independence of <\/span>Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus <\/span>and Sikhs migrated to India while the <\/span>Muslim refugees from India settled in the <\/span>Lahore District.<\/span>

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Women in Kite-Making Industry<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Kite-making, despite being an infor<\/span>mal sector has been strong contributor <\/span>to the economy of Pakistan. This\u00a0<\/span>industry is flourishing in different <\/span>parts of the world such as China and <\/span>Dubai, where annual turnover can <\/span>reach to billions of rupees in just two <\/span>days during the Basant festival that <\/span>celebrates the advent of spring season. <\/span>This festival used to be celebrated with <\/span>pomp in Pakistan, bringing in billions <\/span>of rupees in revenue. <\/span>Since kite-making is an informal <\/span>home based industry, there is limited <\/span>credible data available. Based on the <\/span>interviews conducted, approximately <\/span>90% percent of the kite-makers were <\/span>women,<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> majority<\/span> earning <\/span><\/span>between Rs. 900 to 1500 per month. <\/span>Children of the families both male and <\/span>female also have been as part of this <\/span>unrecognized and unheard labor. In Pakistan, Basant was celebrated by millions, while the kite-making sector itself boasted up to 150,000 workers in Lahore and about 180,000 in Gujranwala and Kasur districts 2 . Jhang (Punjab) too, had a large female workforce working in kite-making. The two-day Basant festival could generate aboutfive billion rupees4.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The study finds that the kite-makers <\/span>did not have any other particular skill <\/span>to employ for livelihood when the <\/span>Punjab government banned kite-mak<\/span>ing in the province Punjab. Women, <\/span>comprising the bulk of the industry, <\/span>were also more vulnerable as they <\/span>had even scarcer opportunities of alter-<\/span>native employment. <\/span>Findings from series of focus group <\/span>discussions and key informant inter<\/span>views with different stakeholders and <\/span>detailed profiles of 100 males and 100s <\/span>female<\/span> kite-makers<\/span> at<\/span> Jhang<\/span> and <\/span><\/span>Lahore district illustrate that: <\/span>Women and their family members lost <\/span>income all of a sudden when Punjab <\/span>government banned the kite-making <\/span>sector without providing any assis<\/span>tance to the kite-making groups and <\/span>families.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Kite-making Process<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The kite-making process includes <\/span>cutting,<\/span> design<\/span> sticking,<\/span> <\/span>threads on all four sides, middle stick <\/span>and the tail, bottom triangle, arc and <\/span>the side folds. Materials are provided <\/span>by the contractor or the owner of the <\/span>final product, these can include paper, <\/span>glue and bamboo sticks according to <\/span>the demand of the product. A family <\/span>involved in kite-making normally pro<\/span>duced100 to 150 kites in 12 to 14 hours\u00a0 <\/span>a day. They received about 30 to 35 <\/span>rupees per hundred pieces. The con<\/span>tractor used to pick the products after <\/span>counting and replenish the materials <\/span>for next round. Workers responsible <\/span>for damaging more than 10 kites from <\/span>a 100 had to pay for the loss incurred. <\/span>Damage to two or three pieces was not <\/span>counted by the contractor.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kite-makers did not have direct <\/span>access to the markets or shops where <\/span>their products could be sold at higher <\/span>prices. They belonged to poor families <\/span>and lived in slums with access to edu<\/span>cation and health and hygiene services. <\/span>They used to work from day to night. <\/span>Many of them had developed various <\/span>health complications such as backach <\/span>and knee problems. This form of labor <\/span>impacted<\/span> the<\/span> health<\/span> of<\/span> pregnant women as well. There was room for the improvement of wages and working conditions of the poor workers especially through regularization of the industry, particularly through application of labor laws and access to better health facilities. According to the available figures, from different sources of kite-makers associations, some 25,000 families asso<\/span>ciated with the kite flying business are <\/span>facing financial constraints due to <\/span>restrictions imposed by the provincial <\/span>government<\/span>5<\/span>. Basant was last celebrat<\/span>ed in Lahore in 2009 when Punjab was <\/span>under the Governor\u2019s Rule, because the <\/span>then governor Salmaan Taseer was in <\/span>favour of celebrating Basant while the<\/span><\/span>
PML-N led Punjab government is <\/span>opposed to it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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V<\/span>a<\/span>s<\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span>t<\/span>a<\/span> (Sanskrit, Hindi:, Punjabi:) <\/span>or<\/span> B<\/span>a<\/span>s<\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span>t<\/span> is one of the (sea-<\/span>sons) corresponding to spring. (\u201cURS <\/span>AUR MELAY\u201d by Aman Ullah Khan <\/span>Arman, published by Kitab Manzil <\/span>Lahore, 1959)\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>**********\u00a0<\/span>In early March to welcome the arrival <\/span>of spring the Basant (Kite flying) festival <\/span>held in most cities of the Punjab with <\/span>the highlight in Lahore. In the subconti<\/span>nent and China kites have been used in<\/span>different form since ancient times. From<\/span>100 BC to AD 500, kites were used for <\/span>sending signals and to measure the dis<\/span>tance of enems camps.\u00a0<\/span>(www.hindukushtrails.com\/festivals\/ba<\/span>sant_festival.asp)\u00a0<\/span>**********\u00a0<\/span>Basant is celebrated with great joy <\/span>in Lahore, as Daily Times, a Pakistani <\/span>News paper states: <\/span>\u201cThere a lot of rush at kite shops, <\/span>especially in old Lahore as children and <\/span>middle-aged men gathered to purchase <\/span>their favourite coloured kites and <\/span>string. Rehan an intermediate student <\/span>said the festival was part of the city\u2019s <\/span>culture, adding that a number of spe<\/span>cial dishes were also prepared for the <\/span>occasion. He said this year, however, <\/span>people would only be flying kites. <\/span>Arsalan, a resident of the Walled City, <\/span>said Basant was the event of colour s<\/span>and lights, adding that a number of <\/span>people in his area had installed light s<\/span>at their residences. He said \u201cthe dance <\/span>of kites in lights\u201d would be visible to <\/span>everyone who would look up at the <\/span>sky\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Ban on Kite-Making<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Kite flying used to be a renowned\u00a0<\/span>cultural sport in Pakistan and used to be\u00a0<\/span>celebrated in the annual Basant festival\u00a0<\/span>in large parts of the country, especially\u00a0<\/span>Punjab. Owing to the cultural impor<\/span>tance of kite flying, kite-making was a\u00a0<\/span>major informal industry involving a\u00a0<\/span>large number of women workers.\u00a0<\/span>In 1995, a petition was filed in the\u00a0<\/span>Lahore High Court (LHC) against\u00a0<\/span>WAPDA seeking a direction to impose\u00a0<\/span>load shedding during Basant night. An<\/span>oral prayer was also made to ban Basant\u00a0<\/span>as it was alleged to be a Hindu festival.\u00a0<\/span>The LHC dismissed the petition holding\u00a0<\/span>that the festival was a cultural tradition\u00a0<\/span>and in the absence of any law prohibit<\/span>ing Basant, no restriction could be\u00a0<\/span>placed on it. But again in 1997, another<\/span><\/span>
petition was filed in the LHC seeking a\u00a0<\/span>ban on celebrating Basant, as well as on\u00a0<\/span>flying and manufacturing kites on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>basis of \u2018morality and desirability\u2019. It\u00a0<\/span>was alleged that Basant \u201cendangered\u00a0<\/span>public peace and tranquility\u201d and was\u00a0<\/span>an \u2018un-Islamic, illegal and unlawful tra<\/span>dition and custom of the Hindus\u2019. It was\u00a0<\/span>also sought in the petition that a direc<\/span>tion to the Punjab government should\u00a0<\/span>also be given to enact a law that banned\u00a0<\/span>kite flying, aerial firing and addressed\u00a0<\/span>other safety hazards. This petition was\u00a0<\/span>disposed off with a direction to the gov<\/span>ernment to effectively deal with the haz<\/span>ards of Basant; as for the question of it\u00a0<\/span>being an un-Islamic activity, it was held\u00a0<\/span>that this could only be looked into by\u00a0<\/span>the Federal Shariat Court<\/span>6<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>This order was appealed against by\u00a0<\/span>the petitioner, and heard by the division\u00a0<\/span>bench of the LHC. The Punjab govern<\/span>ment placed on record certain measures that it had taken in compliance with the earlier order, which included: imposing a complete ban on the manufacture, sale and use of metal wire for kite flying, or any aerial firing, or misuse of loud-speakers; around 2,000 security bonds in the amount of Rs 500,000 were taken from the owners and managers of places where public Basant festivals were being held as an assurance for adhering to the code of conduct; special squad teams were formed, which included the police, magistrates, WAPDA officials and citizens, who identified and raided units manufacturing metal wire for use in kite flying; penal action was taken against individuals for aerial firing; warnings were issued through distribution of handbills and publicity campaigns were also carried out in an attempt to educate the public on the dangers associated with irresponsible kite flying. The appeal was disposed off with a direction to the Council of Islamic Ideology to address the issue of whether or not Basant was an un-Islamic festival. In 2001 the Punjab Prohibition on Kite Flying Ordinance was promulgated by the governor. This law was later enacted by the Punjab Assembly in 2009. Later, in 2005 the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo moto of a press clipping sent by a citizen. It held that the law promulgated by the Punjab government was admittedly insufficient, as it did not contain preventive mechanisms, nature of criminal liability, followed by a penal offence, for causing deaths and injuries, particularly to the innocent citizens including the children, who have sustained losses of life and property for none of their fault. In a number of cases deaths had taken place by a sudden incision of throat by a reinforced kite flying string to the motorcyclists and pedestrians.\u201d The law
penalized the kite-flyer but left the people responsible for the killer string unattended to; consequently a ban was placed on kite flying. Over the years, the innocent sport of kite flying turned into a potentially fatal one, largely due to the string or \u2018dor\u2019 used to fly kites. In addition to lethal \u2018maanjhaas\u2019 (a dough-like material used on the string) on the traditional string, which make it razor-sharp, nylon and metal strings were also being used. Later, following some tragic incidents reportedly caused by kite string, the Commissioner of Lahore declared that the administration will not tolerate any further untoward incident caused by kite flying. The District administration engaged special branch officials to identify those involved in kite-business. It is important to note that a two-member bench of the Supreme Court denied a petitioner\u2019s request for imposition of a ban on kite-flying ruling that the activity should be regulated, not prohibited. A sport cannot be blamed if a person playing it dies, noted Justice Mian Saqib Nisar of the Supreme Court in that petition. \u201cPeople die in traffic accidents but driving has not been banned, cricket would not be banned if someone were to die after being hit with the ball\u201d, the Justice observed while hearing this petition. It is important to note that the court had taken suo moto notice in 2005 on Shehzad Ahmed Sheikh\u2019s application. Sheikh, the father of a 28-year-old Fahim Shehzad7 whose vocal cords suffered irreparable damage after his throat was reportedly slit by kite string, prayed the court to impose a \u201ccomplete ban\u201d on kite flying. In another case, Advocate Qamar Zaman Qureshi, counsel for the Kite Flying Association, appearing in a petition submitted that kite flying was regulated under the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying Ordinance 2001. Justice Hussain Jilani, the head of the bench, asked him who had stopped his clients from flying kites to which Qureshi replied that the activity had been banned in 2010 by the Lahore High Court. At this, Justice Jilani said that kite-flying should continue, but in accordance with the law8.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Stakeholders\u2019 Views<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Selling kites was once a fruitful\u00a0<\/span>business in almost every corner of\u00a0<\/span>Lahore<\/span> and<\/span> Jhang.<\/span> According<\/span> to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>renowned kite-seller, Papu Guddi<\/span>Farosh (Pappu Kite Seller), from Ghazi\u00a0<\/span>Road Lahore, the truly golden days in\u00a0<\/span>his life were when he used to sell a\u00a0<\/span>variety of kites at his shop because all\u00a0<\/span>looked so colorful, lively and prof<\/span>itable. He said that after the govern<\/span>ment imposed ban on kite flying, he\u00a0<\/span>had to shut down and switch to selling\u00a0<\/span>cigarettes and paan (betel leaf with\u00a0<\/span>tobacco). Pappu had a lucrative set-up\u00a0<\/span>for the last 16 years (earning about Rs\u00a0<\/span>30,000 to 40,000 per month). His busi<\/span>ness closed in 2009. Pappu said that\u00a0<\/span>kite-selling was his profession of\u00a0<\/span>choice, but after the decision of the\u00a0<\/span>government, he had suffered economi<\/span>cally and mentally for a long time. He\u00a0<\/span>had been trying to set up an alterna<\/span>tive business but unfortunately could<\/span>n\u2019t excel in anything. He is still strug<\/span>gling to make a new start. Similarly,\u00a0<\/span>others in the industry in different\u00a0<\/span>pockets of Lahore and Jhang districts\u00a0<\/span>have expressed deep concerns over the\u00a0<\/span>decision<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> government,<\/span> and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>demanded that the industry and kite\u00a0<\/span>flying must be allowed throughout the\u00a0<\/span>year with regulations on dor usage.\u00a0<\/span>Kite fliers complained that it was Bas<\/span>ant, as a cultural and sporting event\u00a0<\/span>that had created a space for dispelling\u00a0<\/span>depression. It was a source of enjoy<\/span>ment for everybody regardless of\u00a0<\/span>class, race, caste, creed, religion or\u00a0<\/span>color.\u00a0<\/span>Vice President of All Pakistan Paper\u00a0<\/span>Merchants Association (APPMA) and\u00a0<\/span>founder<\/span> of<\/span> Kite<\/span> Flying<\/span> Festival,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Khawaja Nadeem Saeed Wayeen is of\u00a0<\/span>the view that ban on kite-making has caused a great damage to the paper industry at one hand and secondly those who have been making kites for years and years were unable to do some other work. He said that there was not any chemical that can make the thread or dor harmful rather it was just the gauge or thickness or thinness of the thread that matters. According to Wayeen, it was the thickness of the thread that caused damage. Otherwise\u00a0<\/span>the string was not harmful. He said\u00a0<\/span>that thicker thread was for use in the\u00a0<\/span>United<\/span> States<\/span> where<\/span> winds<\/span> were\u00a0<\/span>stronger; however, these had come\u00a0<\/span>into use in Pakistan.\u00a0<\/span>Wayeen also said that while the\u00a0<\/span>sport had been restricted to the walled\u00a0<\/span>city there were had been no such acci<\/span>dents; it was only after spreading to\u00a0<\/span>the rest of the city that it started caus<\/span>ing damage, largely due to the thick<\/span>ness of the thread and the fall of the\u00a0<\/span>dor at wide roads. Instead of a ban, he\u00a0<\/span>suggested that regulations regarding\u00a0<\/span>thread should be strictly be observed.\u00a0<\/span>He suggested that some steps could\u00a0<\/span>improve the situation and there was\u00a0<\/span>no need to damage an entire industry,\u00a0<\/span>as well as its associated industries\u00a0<\/span>(paper, bamboo, thread).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Voices from District Jhang<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Perveen Farooq<\/b><\/span>, who represents <\/span><\/span>home-based women workers involved\u00a0<\/span>in kite-making in Marzi Pura (Jhang\u00a0<\/span>District) when interviewed to highlight\u00a0<\/span>the situation, noted, \u201cAlthough kite-\u00a0<\/span>making was not very profitable work, it\u00a0<\/span>was a source of income for us. Our\u00a0<\/span>income from kite-making was little but\u00a0<\/span>the reality was that at least we used to\u00a0<\/span>earn something that was helpful to us\u00a0<\/span>in running our homes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>P e r v e e n \u2019 s\u00a0<\/span>family compris<\/span>es of five mem<\/span>bers including\u00a0<\/span>her two daugh<\/span>ters<\/span> and<\/span> one\u00a0<\/span><\/span>son. She used to\u00a0<\/span>make<\/span> kites<\/span> at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>her<\/span> parents\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/span>home<\/span> even\u00a0<\/span><\/span>when she was\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span> married.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>She informed that wages for making\u00a0<\/span>100 kites were in between Rs 30 to 35.\u00a0<\/span>Normally about 150 to 200 kites could\u00a0<\/span>be made within about 12 hours con-\u00a0<\/span>stant work and that with the involve<\/span>ment of children or some other member\u00a0<\/span>of family, she said. She told that wages\u00a0<\/span>against their work could either be\u00a0<\/span>received daily, fortnightly or monthly.\u00a0<\/span>Parveen told that her son got involved\u00a0<\/span>with a local religious group. She added\u00a0<\/span>that that group members don\u2019t appear\u00a0<\/span>to have any job.\u00a0<\/span>She said that wages against their\u00a0<\/span>labor were not given to them according\u00a0<\/span>to their demand rather it used to be\u00a0<\/span>fixed by the dealer who used to supply\u00a0<\/span>them material for kites and then direct<\/span>ly used to sell it in the market. She said\u00a0<\/span>that they (women home based workers)\u00a0<\/span>do not know as to where their dealer or\u00a0<\/span>contractor used to sell the products.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWe know that the dealer used to earn\u00a0<\/span>between Rs. 600 to 1000 per 100 kites.\u00a0<\/span>Unfortunately we don\u2019t have enough\u00a0<\/span>resources or contacts to approach the\u00a0<\/span>market and even purchase material for\u00a0<\/span>making kites and doing our own busi<\/span>ness. We could just offer our services at\u00a0<\/span>the said rates otherwise there was nothi<\/span>ng in our hands.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Perveen further added that it took\u00a0<\/span>about five to seven minutes in making\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span> kite.<\/span> She<\/span> said<\/span> that<\/span> kite-making\u00a0<\/span>involves extreme care in fixing bamboo\u00a0<\/span>straw, using thread, pasting paper\u00a0<\/span>chits, fixing tail and preparing glue. In\u00a0<\/span>case of loss or damage to the kites they\u00a0<\/span>paid for that.\u00a0<\/span>After the government had imposed\u00a0<\/span>the ban on kite-making, they came\u00a0<\/span>under severe stress fearing that now\u00a0<\/span>they would be arrested and put behind\u00a0<\/span>the bars. \u201cWe used to be afraid of\u00a0<\/span>police raids and going into the jails,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>she said adding that ban on kite-mak<\/span>ing immediately rendered them jobless.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cAlthough the income we used to earn\u00a0<\/span>from kite-making was not handsome\u00a0<\/span>enough, but then the situation became\u00a0<\/span>more adverse than it was in the past.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>She said that they had dreams to have\u00a0<\/span>their children educated and have other\u00a0<\/span>basic rights of life such as education,\u00a0<\/span>health and employment but those were\u00a0<\/span>just shattered with a single stroke of\u00a0<\/span>pen. She demanded to have their\u00a0<\/span>rights. She told that the home based\u00a0<\/span>women workers were becoming united\u00a0<\/span>under a single banner and hoped that\u00a0<\/span>they are be in a better position to\u00a0<\/span>demand for their rights in a stronger\u00a0<\/span>way. \u201cWe also have expectations from\u00a0<\/span>civil society organizations particularly\u00a0<\/span>those working for home-based workers to step in and plead our cause in front\u00a0<\/span>of the authorities concerned.\u201d She also\u00a0<\/span>expressed the hope that Home Net Pak<\/span>istan would be taking such steps that\u00a0<\/span>their elected representatives couldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>take so far. Marzi Pura is largely com-\u00a0<\/span>prised of an Urdu speaking population\u00a0<\/span>and its estimated population is about\u00a0<\/span>0.25 million. It is a poor locality, with-\u00a0<\/span>out facilities like hospitals, schools,\u00a0<\/span>parks etc. Majority of the women work<\/span>ers in the area were kite-makers.\u00a0<\/span>Shahida Begum<\/span><\/strong>, mother of four\u00a0<\/span>daughters and a son, says \u201cMy daught<\/span>ers are young and must be married by\u00a0<\/span>now. My son is younger who has to be l<\/span>eft home, alone. We, after putting off\u00a0<\/span>our stove, are trying to provide him\u00a0<\/span>education just\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span> get<\/span> our\u00a0<\/span>dreams materi<\/span>alized.<\/span> Our\u00a0<\/span>dream is that,\u00a0<\/span>one<\/span> day,<\/span> our\u00a0<\/span>boy is educated\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span> he<\/span> has<\/span> a\u00a0<\/span>good<\/span> job.<\/span> He\u00a0<\/span>helps us change\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span> fate.<\/span> My\u00a0<\/span>husband<\/span> is\u00a0<\/span>daily<\/span> wage l<\/span>aborer in the\u00a0<\/span>vegetable mar<\/span>ket. He earns between Rs 100 and 200\u00a0<\/span>per day, which is entirely insufficient to\u00a0<\/span>meet the expenses of our family. When\u00a0<\/span>I used to make kites, with the help of\u00a0<\/span>my daughters, I could chip in Rs 60 to\u00a0<\/span>80 per day. That was not a major contri<\/span>bution though, however it was some-\u00a0<\/span>thing still.\u201d She further told, \u201cOne day\u00a0<\/span>teachers beat my son for not having\u00a0<\/span>school uniform and shoes. My son was\u00a0<\/span>beaten for three days and unfortunately\u00a0<\/span>I was not having money to get those\u00a0<\/span>things for him. He was so much afraid that he did not go to school due to the fear of being beaten again. Lives of Bamida Bibi, Rafiqa Bibi, Shehnaz Bibi, Sarwari Bibi<\/b> and others were also not different as they shared some parts of their stories in a group discussion held at Jhang district. They unanimously demanded that they needed to have employment opportunities, health and education facilities their children, and they must be recognized as equal citizens of Pakistan. The problems they shared were also common and they were also one in their aspirations and expectations from the government and civil society vorganizations in terms of helping them upgrade their status.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Recommendations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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  • Detailed discussions with different<\/span>
    stakeholders highlight the cultural, tra-<\/span>
    ditional and economic importance of<\/span>
    kite flying and kite industry. It is evi-<\/span>
    dent that certain measures must be<\/span>
    taken to provide for the women work-<\/span>
    ers in this industry as well as the busi-<\/span>
    nesses associated with it.<\/span>
    This study recommends that:<\/span>
    n<\/span> Kite flying should be allowed in<\/span><\/span>
    light of the court orders because it is<\/span>
    just not a sport, it is a culture of cele-<\/span>
    bration and festivity<\/span>
    n<\/span> Kite flying and kite-making indus-<\/span><\/span>
    try can be restored and the situation can<\/span>
    be improved by launching awareness<\/span>
    campaigns on safe methods of kite flying<\/span>
    n<\/span> Kite flying zones can be reserved<\/span><\/span>
    where this sport could be enjoyed<\/span>
    without any likelihood of damage or<\/span>
    loss of human life<\/span>
    n<\/span> Regulations regarding kite flying<\/span><\/span>
    cord in terms of its gauge, material,<\/span>
    manjha (dough), etc. must be stringent<\/span>
    and observed with the help of the kite-<\/span>
    flying associations and kite-making<\/span>
    industry<\/span>
    n<\/span> Kite-making industry should be<\/span><\/span>
    regularized and brought under the<\/span>
    jurisdiction of labor laws so that it<\/span>
    should benefit kite-maker families,<\/span>
    especially unemployed women<\/span>
    n<\/span> Kite flying must be allowed by<\/span><\/span>
    taking safety measures for motorcy-<\/span>
    clists like that of using antennas and<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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