New Delhi, March 4. Domestic workers in Sindh, Pakistan, are among the most sought-after yet exploited people in the region. The constant violation of labor laws has led to a deeply ingrained culture of child labor, inhumane working hours, meager pay that often falls below the minimum wage, and disputes resolved based on power dynamics, according to an article in Pakistani media.
The Sindh Domestic Workers Bill of 2018 was the government's initial attempt to provide specific protections for domestic workers against exploitation. However, the draft bill never became law. Last year, the Sindh Assembly finalized the draft of the Sindh Domestic Workers Welfare Bill, 2025, according to an article in The Express Tribune.
However, the approval of this bill has also been delayed, leaving approximately 1 to 1.2 million domestic workers unprotected.
The 2025 bill prohibits children under 16 from working domestically. It also increases the minimum period of maternity leave; mandates dispute resolution through labor courts; requires written contracts between employers and employees; and sets maximum working hours, the article noted, adding that in theory, the bill is a perfect example of protecting domestic workers against abuse and exploitative practices.
However, there are many reasons to be skeptical about its effectiveness in practice. In fact, Sindh currently has three child labor laws that overlap and prescribe different penalties and protections for child workers, the article lamented.
This proves that the province is more interested in proposing bills and mandating penalties than in actually implementing and ensuring their enactment. The Sindh government must ensure that the 2025 bill does not experience the same delays as previous bills. Without the protection of this bill, domestic workers have nowhere to turn when they need help, it observed.
The worsening plight of these workers is part of the stark reality of rising inequality and poverty in Pakistan over the past six years, which has been highlighted by a recent report by the country's Planning Commission. This conclusion is based on a comparison of the level and distribution of household incomes, according to the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) of 2018-19 and 2024-25, undertaken by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).