HomeNet Pakistan

A Profile

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, legal and 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 is a network of organizations formed to raise awareness about the economic, social, domestic and other working conditions of home-based women workers who comprise 70% of the informal workforce contributing towards the country’s economic activities. HomeNet Pakistan has been working for giving a recognition and support to the home-based workers since 2005. Formed under the Societies Registration Act 1862 HomeNet Pakistan is a member of HomeNet South Asia, Ethical trade Initiative and Local resource Network.

HomeNet Pakistan believes that women in the informal economy need to be recognized as laborers instead of considered as a poor, deserving and insignificant part of the society. They must be considered as producers and artisans. Their productivity has to be increased by imparting skill development training, improved technologies, direct access to credit schemes, effective marketing opportunities of their products and putting them under some trade/labor policy of the country. The home-based workers also need to be adequately reflected in national statistics and recognized as workers in the labor laws of the country, thus making them eligible for social, economic and legislative protection. They want support in information, knowledge, capacity building – developing contact, presenting issues, advocacy skills, designing and marketing etc. Here organizational strength is required while making efforts to strengthen home based workers; creating linkages, networking, capacity building and advocacy.

HomeNet Pakistan was registered under the Societies Registration Act on November 2nd, 2005. It represents 360 organizations of home based workers and currently has over 50,000 women members in more than 50 districts of Pakistan.

Objectives

•Mainstreaming issues of informal workers including home-based workers and domestic in national and provincial policies

•Making informal workers visible

•Striving towards building an international network for home-based workers, and domestic workers ,their organizations and NGOs, cooperatives, trade unions, researchers, women’s groups etc. working in this field

•To coordinate an regional and international campaign for the improvement of informal workers’ conditions of work

•Collect information on informal workers and to disseminate it to the members of the network and other interested organizations

•To provide technical assistance to women at all levels

Four Areas of Work

•Policy watch

•Advocacy and Research for effective legislation

•Capacity development and leadership development

•Information development and dissemination

Special Focus

•Organizing and Networking of women in the informal sector including home-based workers, domestic workers ,women worker and their organizations.

•Supporting development of policy and advocacy on key issues pertaining to women; with the government.

•Women economic development

•Demonstrating pilot approaches including social protection for the vulnerable groups; skill development for CVE affected groups (women and youth).

•Promoting fair trade practices for economic development

•Conflict resolution 1325

•Capacity development on human rights, women, legal and labour rights.

Thematic areas

  • Women economic empowerment
  • Urban Policy and planning
  • Social protection ,occupational safety and health
  • Political , Legal Education (on constitutional rights)
  • Violence against women
  • Human Rights , Democracy and Peace
  • Extremism and Intolerance

Major Activities

•Researches and surveys

•Awareness Raising at three levels

•Exposure visits for market linkages

•Legal and rights Awareness

•Advocacy , lobbying with Parliamentarians ,Media, women councillors, legislators and lawyers, GoP and relevant stakeholders

•Leadership development

•Enterprise development

•Crafts Exhibitions and fairs

•Market surveys

Service provision

Referral services for women with regard to

  • Economic and livelihood related services
  • Referral service VAWs , marriage dissolution , child custody , harassment , etc
  • Job placement and employment
  • Complaint mechanism for work and community related issues
  • Linking up with micro financing institutes
  • Welfare of women and girl child

Memberships

  • Ethical Trade Initiatives (ETI)
  • Local Resource network (LRN)
  • HomeNet South Asia (HNSA)
  • Global Solidarity Economy forum (GESF)
  • Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN)

HO: 2 B -LDA Flats, Lawrence Road, Lahore, Pakistan

Tel. : + 92 42 36313186-87 Fax: + 92 42 36312294 Email: