Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Pakistan

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) (Ratification: 2001)
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) (Ratification: 1961)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on equality, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine the Conventions Nos 100 (equal remuneration) and 111 (discrimination in employment and occupation) together.

Convention No. 100 – Principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value

Article 2(2)(b). Determination of minimum wages. The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government regarding minimum wage rates that apply in the Islamabad Capital Territory and the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. It notes the Government’s indication that: (1) in the Islamabad Capital Territory, the process for determining minimum wages is free from gender bias and ensures that jobs predominantly held by women are fairly valued; (2) the Gilgit-Baltistan Minimum Wages Act, 2019, prohibits wage discrimination based on gender; and (3) in Punjab, the recommendations of the Minimum Wages Board are made on the basis of objective job evaluation methods. The Government also reports that, under the 21 September 2023 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minimum Wages Notification, female workers are entitled to the same minimum wages as male workers for work of equal value, and that similar provisions apply in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Sindh. The Committee takes note of this information, which addresses its previous request.

Conventions Nos   100 and 111 – Application in practice

Enforcement. The Committee welcomes that, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a dedicated female inspection team has been established to address women workers’ concerns effectively and that the National Commission on the Status of Women conducted a training session (“Gender Sensitization for Labour Department”) on 27 October 2022. It also welcomes that, in Sindh province, labour inspectors have received training on anti-discrimination provisions. The Government reports that labour inspections are conducted regularly but acknowledges that the Labour Welfare Department in the Islamabad Capital Territory is not involved in the enforcement of the Domestic Workers Act, 2022, and that there are no inspections in the informal economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on: (i) measures to enforce the two Conventions’ principles, including training for labour inspectors and judges and awareness-raising activities for informal and domestic workers; and (ii) cases of employment discrimination identified or handled by labour inspectors and judicial authorities (number and outcome). The Committee notes that the Labour Welfare Department in the Islamabad Capital Territory has sought ILO capacity-building support, and trusts this assistance will be provided soon.