The Challenges Faced by Women in Blue-Collar Jobs

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of women in the labor force where they are consistently making significant economic contributions. Despite constituting 39.3% of the labor force in Pakistan, women face numerous challenges in their workplaces due to societal norms, and behaviors. This study explores the challenges faced by women holding blue-collar jobs in educational institutions in Lahore, Pakistan. This qualitative research unveils a nuanced array of obstacles confronted by women employed in blue-collar positions. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 female security guards and janitors, purposefully selected from two private higher educational institutions in Lahore. Thematic analysis was conducted and a total of four themes were extracted from the data. The findings expose a complex web of challenges that women in blue-collar jobs face including gender-based discrimination, the double burden of domestic and job responsibilities, unique restraints of blue-collar jobs and institutional facilities available to formal labor, and finally the significance of family support. Blue-collar jobs have been an arena of a male-dominated workforce. Women’s participation in this sector has been understudied in Pakistan. The present study aims to highlight the unique challenges that are linked to blue-collar jobs and women’s experiences of these issues.