Labour Force Gwadar
In 1981, civilian labour force constituted 28.0 percent of the population in Gwadar district. About half (49.3%) of the male population and a small percentage (4.3%) of the females participated in the labour force. The urban and rural labour force participation rates were 24.3 and 30.4 percent respectively. The major occupation group "Fishermen, agricultural, animal husbandry and forestry workers and hunters" was adopted by a majority (67.1%) of the labour force. Fishing is the main occupation and majority of the labour force in this occupation is native and resident of coastal areas of the district. Migrant workers are not employed in this profession. Agricultural labour force is very small and is almost local. The non-resident workers are involved in tasks needing skills, specially the construction work and service sector. At present a mason charges 300 rupees a day while a labourer takes 120 rupees per day. Other craftsmen get wages according to the nature of the task.
The visible labour force in the district consists mainly of males. However women are involved in various productive sectors, including agriculture, livestock farming, handicrafts, and fisheries related activities. Fishing nets for instance are made by women also. In Gwadar women are proprietors of many shops because the male family members have migrated to the Gulf states for employment.
The main reason behind the invisibility of female labour force is the socio-cultural milieu of the district. Women of upper income groups are not allowed to work outside their homes. Veil is considered necessary for these women. Darzada and Lori women have been used to work outside their homes but these days they also follow the Baloch traditions as the segregative group boundaries between Balochs and Golams are now merging. Urbanisation is very slow in the area thus the consequent socio-cultural change, allowing and sometimes necessitating the women’s active participation in the labour force, is also slow.
The education expansion has resulted in participation of women in the formal sector, specially in education. Nowadays women are occupying jobs as teachers and educational administrators, where they have to deal mostly with females.