Exploring maternal perspectives on human milk banks in Pakistan and identifying barriers and enablers for establishment

Background: Low-and middle-income countries including Pakistan still have low breastfeeding rates and infant feeding remains a concern. Human milk banks (HMBs) play a crucial role in neonatal and infant health by providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to infants who do not have access to their mother\u27s own milk, particularly preterm and low-birth-weight infants. The perception regarding the concept and use of HMBs has yet to be explored in several contexts, especially in the low-and middle-income countries including Pakistan.Aim: To explore the perceptions of mothers regarding human milk banks in Pakistan, focusing on the barriers and enablers to their establishment, and the strategies to overcome these challenges.Methodology: This study will employ a qualitative descriptive exploratory approach. A purposive sampling technique will be used to select 10 to 14 mothers for participation, with the final number determined by data saturation. In-depth interviews will be conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, which will be validated by experts to ensure its relevance and comprehensiveness. The collected data will be analyzed following Creswell\u27s thematic analysis guide, ensuring a comprehensive identification of barriers and enablers to the establishment of human milk banks in Pakistan.Significance/Implications: Understanding these factors is crucial for midwives, as they play a key role in advocating for and educating about human milk banking. The findings can inform policy development and the implementation of support systems, ultimately enhancing maternal and infant health outcomes. By addressing the identified barriers and leveraging enablers, midwives can contribute to the successful integration of human milk banks into the healthcare system, promoting optimal breastfeeding practices

Paradox of Female Labor Force Participation in South Asia

Worldwide, startling gender disparities exist in employment. There has been a shift in gender culture in the present era which requires both men and women to have paid jobs and share household responsibilities. South Asian region with leading economies like India, Bangladesh and Nepal, presents an interesting paradox for research. Hence, the aim of this conceptual paper is to understand the push and pull factors which influence female labor force participation in the South Asian region in purview of various social, cultural and institutional impediments to engaging into their economic role. Specifically in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the female labor force participation rates are significantly lower than the other South Asian nations, scarce conceptual as well as empirical researches have been conducted till date to analyze the underlying reasons and consequences of gender inequality or in labor force participation. The article highlights that in case of majority of the developing countries of South Asia, there are numerous complications associated with prevalent gender stereotypes within the society and the division of labor. The author argues that it fails to acknowledge women’s triple role in the society. Lack of adequate institutional framework can be one of the prime reasons of low scores for the South Asian region that restrains women to enter productive employment sectors. Discrimination against women in labor force can be costly in the course of development. If properly utilized in the labor market, with the provision of an enabling environment, this huge workforce can make significant contributions to the economic development and growth of the region. Ultimately, it would aid in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger from the world

Antecedents to Change and Moderating Role of Organizational Culture

In the prevailing era of technology diffusion and globalization, firms worldwide are changing their work process, policies, and procedures for growth and sustainability. However, implementing change management is challenging for organizations as they receive resistance from the employees. Many factors promote resistance to change, including job security, uncertainty, and losing rewards and benefits. Banks' employees believe in following conventional practices and often have negative attitudes toward organizational change. Given its importance, we identified the antecedents that positively or negatively affect attitude toward change. The study focused on the leading banks in Karachi. Based on purposeful sampling, we collected a sample of 387 employees of local banks. The study found affective commitment insignificantly affects job satisfaction. Job stress negatively affects job satisfaction, and social influence stimulates job satisfaction. Job stress negatively affects attitudes toward change, but job satisfaction and social influence positively affect attitudes toward change. The study also documents that organizational culture insignificantly moderates affective commitment and job satisfaction. The study recommends that organizations implementing change management must share the change management programs with all the stakeholders. Additionally, organizations must find out why employees are against change management. By addressing employees' concerns about change management, organizations may face little resistance from them.