Organizations like Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) and Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA) have undertaken a few
initiatives to address this growing concern in Pakistan. Their most
recent project titled “Pathway and Purse-strings: Market Access for
Women Producers in Pakistan” is geared towards providing marginalized
female producers with resources to access markets, where their goods
are in high demand. This particular program is estimated to improve the
economic condition of 16,000 to 20,000 women in rural Pakistan. (see
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=123139 for more
information)

When such programs are successfully executed, they provide women with a
financially viable alternative to working in inhumane conditions as
domestic servants or private sector employees. However, initiatives of
this type are one of the many steps that need to be taken in order to
improve working conditions for Pakistani women. Issues relating to pay
equity, sexual harassment in the workplace and gender discrimination
are still in desperate need of attention.

Currently, the International Labor Rights Forum is collaborating with
one of its Pakistani partners, Harmony Foundation,
to create a research report on the working conditions of women in the
export-based textile factories of Faisalabad. Several cases of sexual
harassment have already been identified and litigated as a result of
this research. In addition, the report will shed light on the plight of
working women in Pakistan and provide a much needed foundation to
develop future initiatives geared towards improving working conditions
for women.