Grievance of Child Labor in Pakistan:
Child labor remains a prevalent problem in Pakistan, which undermines the rights and future of many children here. Despite the fact there are international conventions and legal agreements available, socioeconomic challenges are present that always lead to prolonged injustice since it is a taboo topic in our society, which is why this write-up will analyze the causes, circumstances and potential solutions through which we can protect the future of these innocent children.
Socioeconomic Factors Fueling Child Labor:
According to the world bank’s report, there was a seven-percentage rise in the poverty rate, reaching 25.3% in 2024, as compared to the statistics of 2023, that means 13 million more people fell under the national poverty line.
These households have limited access to education and basic resources which prompts them to send their children to work, these children then work in horrendous working environments, and no one bats an eye.
Although there are some program like The Rural Support Programs Network (RSPN), that try to raise awareness about the children rights and highlights the causes that led to the normalization of child labor in Pakistani community.
Sectors Affected:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, child labor is present in various sectors from agriculture, manufacturing to being helpers in homes of people where they face exploitation and all forms of abuses. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports suggest that these children are involved in severe working conditions which exposes them to physical and psychological harm.
Legal Framework and Enforcement Challenges:
While Pakistan has ratified several international conventions to eliminated child labor, these includes ILO’s Minimum Age Convention and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention and even adopted national laws like Factories Act and the Shops and Establishments Ordinance, all of them aimed at prohibiting child labor in specific sectors but still the enforcement mechanisms are weak and faces problems because of the corruption and lack of political will.
Impact on Children:
The children who are working as laborers from a young age, have a long lasting impact on their physical and mental development since they have little opportunities for education and exposure to various forms of exploitation which leads to further poverty since these children are unable to carve a future for themselves which in turn hinders the national development which is why as informed individuals of the society, we have to protect the sanity, dignity and rights of these innocent children.
Initiatives and Interventions:
Efforts have been conducted by the government and non-governmental organizations to combat child labor in Pakistan, such as the ILO’s CLEAR Cotton project which was implemented with the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it emphasizes on elimination of child labor from the textile, cotton and garment sectors direct interventions, capacity building and research moreover the Punjab’s provincial government has launched schemes to provide financial packages to families so that they can be encouraged to send their children to schools instead of work.
Recommendations:
While it may be easier for everyone to talk about this social issue, it is always best if experts or even ordinary people can band together to provide solutions to eliminate child labor from everywhere. Here are some of the recommendations given below:
- Improve the implementation mechanisms of the existing laws and adopt stricter and harsher punishments for the perpetrators.
- Increase the access of people living in the rural areas to good quality education, training programs and practical skills for their future employment.
- Raising awareness in society through campaigns to teach people about the harmful effects of child labor on the children and the importance of education for their sustainable growth.
- Provide financial incentives to the families to reduce their reliance on children to sustain their livelihoods.
Child labor in Pakistan is a complex and multifaceted issue with many layers to uncover hence it requires careful and long-term planning, to see the results. It is the responsibility of every individual to inform the authorities if they see children working in worse condition to prevent further harm to them and to ensure safe and comfortable lives for them.
This article is written by Hafsa Shaikh who is a student of International Relations at the National University of Modern Languages, Karachi campus. She is a member of the Youth Diplomacy Forum.
