Outcome PAK_D_2.2

PCO SN Outcome 3.2: Women benefit from decent work, income security and socio-economic development (aligned to SP Output 9)

The outcome was successfully achieved in this reporting period. PCO's approach towards creating an environment where women benefit from devent work, income security and soecioeconomic development rested on enhancing the capacities of women home-based workers and women-owned businesses; increasing women's access to financial products and services, and social protection; engaging the government for implementation of relevant laws, especially the Home-Based Workers' Law; and engaging the private sector Women Empowerment Principles to assist them to formulate and implement gender responsive policies. Supporting women and women-owned businesses affected by the economic impact of COVID19, PCO provided one-time electronic cash grant transfer of PKR 17,000 to 4,500 to WHBWs to supplement their incomes, and act as a tool for economic recovery. PCO also aimed to enhance economic resilience through economic recovery solutions i.e., skills trainings supplemented with tool kits and linking WHBWs to local markets and other private companies to become part of their supply chains. In order to provide information and knowledge to HBWs and community women to avail loans and initiate small scale business, PCO in collaboration with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) rolled out awareness and handholding sessions in Peshawar and Swabi. SBP representatives shared the different types of small & medium term loans, interest free loan schemes and other financing schemes available for women micro- entrepreneurs. A similar session was also conducted in Quetta with SBP representatives and Habib Bank Limited where Women Entreprenuers were introduced to different banking products available to finance thier micro enterprises. The challenges faced by women working in the private sector and opportunities for them to become more financially empowered and work in a harassment free workplace were identified in the assessment report conducted with 5 WEP signatories, namely K-electric, Jazz, Interloop, Habib Bank Limited and Pepsi Co Pakistan. The assessment was an initial step for WEPs signatories to improve the policy to promote decent work and harassment-free workplace in their companies. In addition, 17 senior Foodpanda Pakistan officials had increased understanding harassment-free and inclusive workplaces for all. The training provided foundation knowledge for the company to create the internal policy to ensure harassment-free and inclusive workplaces. The 25 aspiring women micro-entrepreneurs had increased knowledge on hygiene, food quality and packaging and improved connection with home-chef network as part of the training session conducted in partnership with Foodpanda in Sialkot. To further enhance income security and socio-economic development for women microentrepreneurs, the partnership with Jazz was established to increase digital literacy for 10,000 microentrepreneurs. Following issuance of the ESG Roadmap by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, PCO has initiated consultations with a range of relevant stakeholders - including the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan and multinational and national corporate entities - to advance the adoption of the ESG standards. As a first step, discussions are ongoing for the development of a standardized reporting framework.

PCO SN Outcome 3.2: Women benefit from decent work, income security and socio-economic development (aligned to SP Output 9)

This outcome was achieved during the reporting period and all targets envisaged under it were timely accomplished. With support from Pakistan Country Office (PCO), 783 women homebased workers, including 161 women with disabilities were capacitated to participate in the economy as entrepreneurs and access financial and social protection services for better and sustainable incomes. Around 548 women entrepreneurs have been supported to access finance and gender-responsive financial products and services.A multi-pronged approach encompassing evidence generation to inform current and future programme design, provision of demand-oriented skills and complemented with enterprise development and digital literacy, linkages with the private sector companies and business opportunities and dissemination of information and awareness about services and rights proved instrumental in achieving the desired results. The basic requirement an identification card to recognize homebased workers was institutionalized together with the Labour Department in Sindh. Acquiring this identity card will enable home-based workers to have access to other government services, such as the Sehat Insaf Card, loan facilities and other social protection benefits. Sindh being the second most populous province in the country is home to significant portion of the 5.8 million homebased workers in Pakistan. To validate the theory of change, stories of change from the field were compiled to demonstrate actual impact on the field. Learnings from the field suggests that when women homebased workers are provided opportunities of business and financial management and access to finances, resources and digital spaces, their limitations of expanding businesses and capturing bigger markets overcomes which leads to improved socio-economic status.