The country’s informal sector employs more than 20 million home-based workers, including 12 million women. These workers can boost Pakistan’s crippling, debt-ridden economy if provided with the right incentives. It is unfortunate that most home-based workers are illiterate, poor and belong to the lower-middle class.
There should be training centres to teach them and get them ready to meet the ever-increasing challenges of the modern job market.
Ultimately, when these home-based businesses and workers are documented, it will give a much-needed boost to the GDP growth and generate hundreds of billions in additional tax revenue.
The government should address the common challenges faced by home-based workers because a welfare state aims at prioritising good governance, and formulating and implementing policies for the betterment of the masses. I cannot stress enough that Pakistan is in dire need of mainstreaming home-based workers and giving them equal opportunities, skills, training and social protection if we really want to progress as a nation. There will be consequences if we don’t do that.
SYEDA HADIA BAKHTAWAR
NANKANA SAHIB
Home-based workers
Must Read
Askari Bank Leads the Development of Pakistan’s First Cashless Ecosystem for...
Askari Bank is establishing itself in the area of digital financial services with its latest initiative to create a cashless ecosystem. Building on the...
