The child labour incidence is higher for boys (12.7%) compared to girls (5.9%) and increases with age for both sexes. The highest child labour prevalence is in the age group 14-17 (15.5%), followed by children aged 10-13 years (10.9%) and children aged 5-9 years (5.3%).
In Pakistan, child labour is a serious human rights issue with millions of children working to support their families. These children are deprived of their basic right to education. In this context, this policy brief aims to highlight the seriousness of the child labor issue, showing its links to poverty, lack of access to education, and ineffective government laws and policies.
Pakistan is an economically developing country where poverty and inflation are high, and these factors ultimately promote child labor. Therefore, this article suggests various ways to resolve the issue of child labour with an integrated long-term approach based on community needs and requirements, including initiation of poverty eradication programs, provision of income generation opportunities to poor families, implementation of free primary and compulsory education, vocational training for children and awareness programs, as well as, enforcement of laws and policies by the state.
Many of the reflections that laid the foundation of the present study for resolving child labour issues were based on five years of practical experience in the field of human rights, particularly focused on child protection, child labour, non-formal education, and creating livelihood opportunities for poor families in Pakistan like that of Sindh, KPK and Balochistan. Subsequently, various policy alternatives were proposed liberty, acceptability, socio-political feasibility, economic feasibility and ease of implementation that could be effective in providing income generation opportunities to the families of child laborers, quality education to these children, and proper implementation of existing laws and policies related to child labor, child rights, and child education.
Millions of children in Pakistan are trapped in the vicious claws of child labor, deprived of a normal life, education, healthcare, and security. Despite the nationwide ban on child labor and bonded labor – a form of modern-day slavery – their prevalence in Pakistan is a reflection of flawed democracy, poor economic conditions, and exploitative societal norms highlight that child labour not only robs children of their childhood but also hinders their overall development, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.
The findings of the analysis highlighted certain major causes of increasing child labour in Pakistan including poverty and inflation due to which poor families are left with fewer employment options in Pakistan, non-availability and non-accessibility of schools for poor child laborers, lack of implementation of universal and compulsory primary education that further compels many parents to send their children to work, earn money, and learn new skills, and rapidly growing illiteracy and ignorance especially in the lower economic classes due to lack of resources.
The study further proposed significant policy alternatives for restricting child labor and reforming the socio-economic status of poor children by promoting child rights and child education in Pakistan. These policy options included banning child labor entirely, poverty alleviation programs, vocational schooling programs, enforcing part-time education, and research and data collection.
Since criteria-based assessment exposed certain trade-offs between different alternatives, the decision was made considering what society would value more and what would be administratively feasible for the government to do.
According to the Policy, the most desirable alternative was the imposition of part-time education on children. Although it ranked well on ensuring liberty and long-term effectiveness, the economic costs and difficulty in implementation would cause problems since this alternative would require time especially in case of setting up separate schools for the provision of such part-time education.
On the contrary, child labour not only destroys the life of child, but it also destroys the life of humanity and call into question the moral system of society besides having various political, social, economic repercussions for the society in question. But the phenomenon of child labour prevents a child to acquire education and hence deprives him various fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution.
Child labour still remains a pressing issue in Pakistan fueled by a complex interplay of factors such as poverty, economic pressures, lack of education, and many more. As a dedicated NGO, continues to strive for a child labour-free Pakistan by addressing these root causes, advocating for policy changes, and empowering children and families to lead better lives.
The fight against child labour is a collective effort, and we invite you to join us in our mission to create a brighter future for India’s children. Together, we can ensure that every child can experience the joys of childhood and access the opportunities they deserve.
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