Decent Work for Women Agriculture Workers | Sindh Community Foundation

In Sindh, more than half a million women cotton pickers are engaged in labor-intensive agricultural work that forms the backbone of Pakistan’s cotton economy. In many ways, the country’s textile industry stands on the shoulders of women cotton workers, whose labor sustains the cotton supply chain from farms to factories. Despite their critical contribution, these women face low wages, economic exploitation, and hazardous working conditions, with little access to social protection or occupational safety. Yet their vital role in the cotton economy often remains invisible and undervalued, despite sustaining one of Pakistan’s largest export industries.

Recognizing these challenges, Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) works to promote economic justice and labor rights for women agricultural workers. Through community mobilization and awareness, SCF has supported women cotton workers to form and register women-led trade unions, strengthening their collective voice to advocate for fair wages and improved working conditions. These efforts are helping women workers gain recognition, dignity, and stronger bargaining power within the agricultural sector.

Labor rights education for women cotton workers

Organizing Women Cotton Workers and Labor Rights Education

SCF has been at the forefront of labor rights advocacy for women cotton pickers, helping them understand their rights and negotiate fair wages and safer working conditions. Over 3,000 women workers have been trained in labor rights and collective bargaining, while climate adaptation strategies have also been introduced to strengthen their resilience to climate change impacts on livelihoods.

Partnering with Asian Venture Philanthropy Network Limited, SCF launched a project to advance labor rights for women cotton workers while addressing the rising temperatures and environmental challenges in Sindh. Through this initiative, 1,050 women cotton pickers have received training on income generation opportunities, equipping them with alternative skills to ensure financial stability during the off-season and climate-induced disruptions.

Literacy centers for women cotton workers

Literacy Centers for Women Cotton Pickers

Women agricultural workers form the backbone of rural Sindh's economy. Across districts such as Matiari, Thatta, Sanghar, and Badin, thousands of women spend long hours in cotton fields, harvesting crops, caring for livestock, and managing post-harvest processing. Despite their immense contribution to agricultural productivity, they remain among the most economically and socially excluded groups. Most women cotton and agriculture workers are unable to read wage slips or calculate their payments, depend heavily on middlemen for financial transactions, lack awareness of minimum wage standards and labor rights, and cannot independently access social protection schemes.

Recognizing this structural inequality, Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) launched the “Suhaee” Literacy Initiative—Suhaee, meaning “light.” Under this initiative, SCF established 33 literacy centers across rural villages in Matiari, Sanghar, Badin, and Thatta districts. A total of 943 women agricultural workers were enrolled in a structured six-month literacy program. The curriculum was developed in collaboration with the Government of Sindh to ensure relevance, sustainability, and alignment with provincial learning standards.

Women learned to sign their names with confidence, calculate daily wages accurately, maintain simple household and income records, support their children's schooling, understand basic labor rights, and participate more actively in community discussions. The impact has been transformative—women are now able to verify wage calculations independently, reducing their dependence on middlemen. The Suhaee initiative has been successfully scaled with support from AVPN, Feed the Minds, Indigo Textile, and UEP, demonstrating how literacy can empower rural women to claim their rights and strengthen their economic independence.

Climate-Safe Workplaces for Women Agriculture Workers

SCF launched a Climate Safety Kit Initiative to create safer and climate-resilient working conditions for women cotton workers in Sanghar and Matiari districts. 1,000 women workers received Climate Safety Kits including reusable water bottles, protective clothing, sun hats, durable shoes, gloves, socks, masks, ORS, and dates to reduce heat stress and occupational risks.

In addition, 50 eco-friendly shades were installed in 30 villages, providing resting spaces for over 2,500 women agricultural workers. The initiative helped reduce heatstroke risks, snake bite incidents, and improve safer working conditions. It also raised awareness on occupational health and climate safety practices. These efforts improved wellbeing and protection for women working in cotton fields.

Leadership Training for Women Cotton Pickers

SCF firmly believes that leadership development is key to empowering women to advocate for their rights and secure better labor conditions. To strengthen leadership capacity, SCF has trained 60 women cotton pickers serving as office bearers of women-led trade unions. The training covered key leadership themes including communication skills, negotiation techniques, collective decision-making, conflict resolution, labor rights awareness, advocacy strategies, public speaking, organizing community meetings, and representing workers’ voices in policy discussions. These women are now better equipped to engage with growers, government representatives, and labor departments. They have played an important role in advocating for climate safety measures, occupational health protections, and fair wage policies.

Practical leadership exercises, role-play activities, and mentorship programs helped build confidence among these women, enabling them to effectively lead trade unions and represent their peers. SCF also facilitated dialogues between women workers, government officials, and labor departments, resulting in commitments to strengthen social protection measures, including health insurance and compensation mechanisms for agricultural workers. These engagements have strengthened trust between workers and institutions while opening space for policy dialogue on agricultural labor rights. Women leaders are now actively mobilizing other workers, expanding awareness of rights, and strengthening collective action in their communities.

“Before joining the union, we worked silently in the fields without knowing our rights. Now we speak together with confidence, negotiate for fair wages, and demand safe working conditions.” Zubaida Machi — A woman cotton worker and trade union leader trained by SCF

Empowering Women Agricultural Workers Through Trade Unions

Organizing women cotton workers into trade unions has been central to Sindh Community Foundation’s (SCF) workers’ rights and decent work program. SCF mobilized women cotton workers into community groups, creating safe spaces to discuss workplace challenges and build solidarity. These groups later evolved into 40 women-led trade unions, of which 28 are registered under the Sindh Industrial Relations Act 2014. Through this collective organization, women gained unity, leadership, and stronger bargaining power to advocate for labour rights, fair wages, and safer working conditions. The unions enabled women to communicate collectively with growers and engage with government institutions, particularly the Sindh Labour Department. Through sustained advocacy and negotiations, cotton picking wages increased from Rs. 600 to Rs. 1,000 per day, improving financial security for thousands of rural women workers.

For years we worked silently in the cotton fields under the burning sun with no voice or protection. But when we organized into a trade union, we discovered our strength—together we could demand fairness, shade, safety, and dignity for the women who harvest this cotton.
— Zubaida Solangi - Leader of a women led trade union of cotton workers

Expanding Social Protection for Women Cotton Workers

Recognizing the economic vulnerability of senior women cotton workers nearing retirement, SCF has successfully connected 250 women workers to the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), securing financial assistance for them. Additionally, SCF has facilitated the registration of 300 women workers with the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), ensuring they receive pension benefits and long-term financial security.

To enhance awareness of available social protection mechanisms, SCF has conducted 50 community training sessions, reaching 1,500 women workers. These sessions have provided women with crucial knowledge about labor rights, financial management, and legal protections, enabling them to access government welfare programs and advocate for policy changes that benefit agricultural workers.

Climate Resilience and Women's Leadership

SCF has recognized the disproportionate impact of climate change on women agricultural workers and has integrated climate resilience into its labor rights programs. By establishing climate-aware trade unions, SCF has equipped women with knowledge and tools to address climate challenges affecting their livelihoods. Twenty women leaders from newly formed trade unions have been trained in leadership and climate justice, enabling them to lead awareness campaigns on climate adaptation and ensure vulnerable communities are included in policy discussions and local climate planning processes. SCF has also conducted training on sustainable agricultural practices, including food preservation, livestock management, and water conservation techniques. These initiatives have helped women adopt climate-resilient strategies, strengthening their capacity to protect income and livelihoods from climate change impacts.

Occupational safety for women agricultural workers

Ensuring Occupational Safety and Health for Women Agricultural Workers

SCF has been actively advocating for the enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2017, in the agricultural sector. With rising temperatures reaching 49°C, working conditions have become increasingly hazardous, yet safety regulations remain largely unimplemented. As part of its regular labour education programs, SCF conducts awareness and training sessions for women cotton workers on occupational health and safety. These sessions help women understand risks related to extreme heat, pesticides, and unsafe working conditions while strengthening knowledge of labour rights. A cohort of climate and occupational safety leaders has emerged from the trade unions, who continue sharing knowledge in their communities.

Towards Sustainable Livelihoods for Women Agricultural Workers

In 2024, SCF's comprehensive interventions significantly improved labor conditions, secured wage increases, expanded social protection, and strengthened women's leadership in climate justice and labor rights advocacy. By strategically integrating economic empowerment with climate resilience, SCF has laid a strong foundation for long-term stability and self-sufficiency among women cotton workers.

Moving forward, SCF aims to expand its climate-aware trade union network, enhance policy advocacy for labor law enforcement, and strengthen financial literacy and entrepreneurship opportunities for women in agriculture. By continuing to champion the rights of women agricultural workers, SCF remains dedicated to fostering a just, equitable, and climate-resilient future for women in Sindh's labor force.

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