Lahore, MTT News Desk: ILO and Punjab Labour Department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mainstream gender issues into provincial policies and programmes.

The MoU is signed under the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded ILO project ‘Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment’ in Pakistan.

At the occasion, Mr. Francesco d’ Ovidio, Country Director, ILO Pakistan said, “The ILO believes that gender equality in the world of work is not only a matter of human rights but in fact it is a tool to ensure social justice for all and is instrumental in achieving economic growth and poverty reduction at the national level”.

The MOU formalizes the joint collaboration of ILO and the Department of Labour Punjab towards gender mainstreaming in the world of work, an important step to end discrimination against women.

ILO has provided technical assistance in setting up a Gender Unit within the department.

Similar memoranda are signed with other provincial departments of labour in October last year and efforts towards ensuring gender equality in the provincial labour departments have picked up pace since.

Mr. Hassan Iqbal, Secretary, Department of Labour Punjab said, “Strengthening the department’s capacity and building its gender expertise is foremost in the agenda” Under this joint collaboration, the Labour Department has already initiated a comprehensive capacity building of its inspection machinery.

He proudly shared that for the first time a woman labour inspector has been inducted in the labour inspection force.

Moreover, the one women labour inspector and 65 male labour inspectors have participated in the ILO trainings on gender concerns and labour inspection.

Whilst sharing the future plans, he informed that the department is moving towards labour law review and the amendments to the laws from a gender lens will ensure equal protection and benefits to women in the world of work.

“Promoting the equality of women and men is not only a matter of justice, but is also conducive to the benefit and wealth of society.

For that reason, Government of Punjab is firmly convinced that investing in equality is tantamount to investing in development and the future”, the Secretary added.

Ms Frida Khan, National Project Coordinator, ILO GE4DE, appreciated the coordination of the Department of Labour Punjab.

She reiterated the important role of the Provincial Government post devolution, as the implementer and monitor of labour standards, particularly regarding ILO Conventions 100 and 111 on non-discrimination that are ratified by Pakistan.