PRWSWO

Increasing Migrant Workers Access to Support Services including Information & Advice on Safe Migration and Stakeholders’ Capacity Building in District Rahimyarkhan - Pakistan

Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 184.35 million in 2012-2013, and has the world’s 9th largest labour force. The official unemployment rate is 6.2 percent (male 5.4 per cent and female 9 per cent).

In terms of the geographical distribution, more than 50% of total emigrants from Pakistan originated from the Province of Punjab, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (28%), and Sindh (8%).In South Punjab two districts are among the top 20 districts in Pakistan which are Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan. South Punjab considered less developed part of the Punjab Province and located remote to provincial capital city. To provide services to migrant workers and their families in central and upper Punjab, the ILO is supporting the Punjab Department of labour and Human Resource and Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource to establish the country’s first ever Migrant Resource Centers; one in Lahore and one in Islamabad.

The ILO, Pakistan through its EU funded South Asia Labour Migration Governance Project (SALM) supported PRWSWO, to implement a project in District Rahimyarkhan.

PRWSWO identified number of rural communities having higher incidences of labor Migration in the past and documented potential migrant workers who are interested to go abroad. 18 community awareness raising sessions were organized while with the support of local Street Theatre Group; performed theatre plays at 6 different locations of the district. The audience was given very clear & specific message on how to go abroad legally for labour migration and what are the consequences if adopt illegal ways & means? In order to provide information, awareness and sensitization to potential migrant workers and those who intend to go abroad for securing job, PRWSWO planned to organize a one day “Migrant Workers Mela “ (Festival) at Rahimyarkhan. A number of Government and Private sector institutions exhibited their stalls in the Mela while the visitors secured proper and correct information about their services, procedure and facilities while going abroad for job purposes or redressed their grievances in case they have any complaint.