The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (FOSPAH) ruled that firing a woman during maternity leave is gender-based discrimination and fined the private firm Embrace IT, Rs1 million.
The order came in response to Ms. Zainab Zahrah Awan filing a complaint, who was fired in April 2024 while on sanctioned maternity leave. FOSPAH ruled that instances of termination such as this violates the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace act and bypasses constitutional rights.