Vulnerabilities to Women in Informal Sector: A Qualitative Study on Rag Pickers in Rawalpindi Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Women are less fortunate to have a decent job and are therefore more likely to be involved in informal employment. A high proportion of women work as rag pickers in Pakistan, which entails many health risks and social stigma. Females rag pickers are also subject to verbal and physical abuse. Despite their important role in the overall waste management system, policies, guidelines, services, and institutional support systems are not available to them and the places where they pick rags is not suitable for their health, safety, and well-being. Ten in-depth interviews of female ragpickers (aged less than 18) from Rawalpindi, Punjab were conducted. The duration of the interview was 20-25 min. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select participants. Later, a thematic analysis of transcribed data was done. Overall, the study focuses on the issues and vulnerabilities of female ragpickers