Right to daycare

A member of the Balochistan Assembly was recently forced to leave the assembly for bringing her baby in. The incident has once again highlighted the lack of daycare facilities for the children of working women in Pakistan, as well as one of many contributing factors which result in a wide gap in the nation’s gender parity scale.

It is a common dilemma faced by women in Pakistan – to make a decision between their homes and their careers, since for many, the two may not get along well. With a very patriarchal society still operating in the country, domestic chores including child care are largely a woman’s responsibility. Many career women rely on nannies, others find solace in grannies taking care of their children while they themselves are able to pursue a career. Since such options may not be available to all, a majority of women have no other choice but to leave a well-established career after marriage.

A recent survey revealed that there are around 85000 female doctors, who despite having completed their medical education, are not part of the medical workforce in Pakistan. It is not hard to imagine that if such a significant number of medical practitioners is added to the mainstream, a country where the majority of the population has no access to basic health care facilities, would greatly benefit.

The issue could be greatly resolved if organisations would provide daycare facilities for non schoolgoing children. It was a rather pleasant surprise to learn that by law all organisations in Pakistan are supposed to have daycare arrangements to enable working mothers to join work after maternity leave. The Factories Act 1934 (now the Act of 2018) mentions in a clause “that in any specified factory, wherein more than fifty women workers are ordinarily employed, a suitable room shall be reserved for the use of children under the age of six years belonging to such women, and (b) prescribing the standards for such rooms and the nature of the supervision to be exercised over the children therein.”

In practice, however, this accommodation can hardly be seen in textile, garments or sports good manufacturing industries, for example, which would fall directly under this act; although some private organisations like multinational corporations and educational institutions have recently introduced such facilities.

A few professional daycare centres may also be available in urban centres, which in exchange for a fees, provide feeding, changing and general supervision facilities for toddlers and even school going children. But security and reliability issues as well the cost factor are a great concern, especially for single mothers. Nevertheless, they arguably provide a convincing option to mothers in need of a professional as well as a warmly embracing environment to leave their child in.

Such options though largely belong to the private sector, although the government of Punjab has decided to facilitate establishing day care centres in various organisations. Until late last year, the Women Development Department claims to have established 75 daycare centres across the province. However, other provinces are yet to gain from such a facility.

After receiving strong criticism and having been asked to leave an assembly session in Balochistan, MPA Mahjabeen Shereen has pledged a campaign to amend laws barring women lawmakers from bringing their infants to sessions. She had brought her ailing child to a session, thinking that with women politicians of other countries taking their children to parliament sessions, it would be the same in Pakistan. However, to her disappointment, Ms Shereen was informed that bringing children to the assembly was against the law.

While in countries like Spain and Italy, some women senators and members of parliaments have brought their children to parliament, and participated in the proceedings, with an Australian senator breastfeeding her child as she put forward a motion against a lung disease, Shereen’s experience has been shared by other women even in developing countries.

A Danish politician was recently ejected from parliament for bringing her five-month-old daughter, as the female speaker categorically stated that “You are not welcome with your baby in the parliament’s chamber.”

In 2017, Yuka Ogata, an assembly member in Japan was forced to leave the floor when she brought along her seven-month son to a meeting.

Denmark ranks amongst the top European Union nations for gender equality while Japanese women share similar sentiments as that of MPA Shereen, with their country ranking in the lower tier of global gender parity index.

However, Japan is more stigmatised by its traditional societal structure, while in Pakistan, along with society playing a crucial role, low literacy levels, lesser opportunities of employment for women, especially in middle and upper levels of management and almost no economic growth further deteriorates working conditions and possibilities for women.

And the economic growth of any nation fighting for a comeback is not possible unless more than 50 percent of its population participates in mainstream sectors. Since women make up 50 percent of Pakistan’s population, their contribution to the economic growth of the country is crucial. For that to happen, women need additional facilities to help them manage both homes and jobs. Amongst these, a daycare facility for their young ones is perhaps the most crucial.

The writer is a freelance journalist.

She has a keen interest in issues regarding women, religion and foreign affairs.

Email: shamahf2@gmail.com