Around 3.3m Pakistani Children Trapped In Child Labour: Experts

APP

Lahore: Around 160 million children aged 5 to 17 years are engaged in child labour in 2020, with 79 million children involved in hazardous work, said Asia Regional Child Labour (ARC) National Project Coordinator Munawar Sultana.

The ARC coordinator was speaking at an event held to discuss the menace of child labour and child abuse in the country, and the way forward in Lahore on Sunday.

Sultana further said that about 3.3 million Pakistani children are trapped in child labour, adding that they are not only deprived of their childhood, but also of their health and education.

Meanwhile, the other experts collectively called upon all the stakeholders, including the media, government, civil society and organizations, to play their role in making institutional and non-institutional sectors free from child abuse and child labour.

It is a social stigma and a gigantic problem in both developing and industrialised countries and low-income communities.

It is a social stigma and a gigantic problem in both developing and industrialised countries and low-income communities, the child rights activists said.

Lahore-based Social Activist Hameed Alam stated that children in all provinces of the country are being exploited physically, morally, socially and mentally.

Referring to the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) recent report, Alam added that hundreds of millions of girls and boys around the world are affected due to child abuse and child labour menace. They are forced to live a life of poverty and harassment.

He called upon the global organizations working to prevent child labour, like the International Labour Organization (ILO) and SPARC, to work jointly to save children from the curse of child abuse and child labour.

Child abuse is a serious problem in Pakistan that often goes unpunished; however, there are laws in place that offer severe penalties for those who are convicted of abusing children, Alam further said.

A total of 160 million children, including 63 million girls and 97 million boys, are involved in child labour globally, accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide.

ILO Country Office Officer-in-charge Peter Buwembo stressed the importance of reliable data on child labour. He mentioned that an ongoing child labour survey in Pakistan would generate updated and accurate evidence for programs and policies.

A total of 160 million children, including 63 million girls and 97 million boys, are involved in child labour globally, accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide.

Buwembo acknowledged the government for ratifying all eight fundamental conventions of the ILO, including C182 in 2001 and C138 in 2006, and enacting national and sub-national legislation prohibiting the employment of children in general and hazardous work in particular.

Peter underscored the need for harmonizing the age of children in all relevant laws by the federal and provincial governments, urging all stakeholders to work together for a long-lasting solution and accelerating progress towards achieving the SDG targets by 2025.

Girl Workers Higher Than Boys

According to a recent study report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), the growth of girl workers is higher as compared to boys.

The industrial structure shows that at the national level and in the rural area, agriculture engaged the maximum number of children, followed by services, whereas in the urban area, the services sector dominated. As for employment status, most of the children are unpaid family helpers.

The occupational pattern indicates that the majority of them work on farms and in production activities.

The government has enacted the Employment of Children Act of 1991, which has banned the employment of children below the age of 14 years, and their employment is now a cognizable offense under the Act, punishable by imprisonment and a fine. Such interventions can lead to reductions in the already limited choices available to the child.

For example, this legislation may mean that the child can neither work nor go to school. To put it differently, this ban does not address market failures, for example, in the education market, Ministry of Human Rights sources said.

The government of Pakistan, through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), has so far enrolled 11.8 million children in schools under the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif initiative.

Meanwhile, the government of Pakistan, through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), has so far enrolled 11.8 million children in schools under the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif initiative, the sources added.

According to the Economic Survey 2022–23, to eliminate child labour, a total of 3 million children had been enrolled under the scheme during July–March FY2023. So far, Rs 63.3 billion have been disbursed since the inception of the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif initiative, out of which Rs 23.4 billion have been disbursed from July to March, FY2023.

Former Senator Sehar Kamran said that cases of child abuse and child labour have unfortunately become regular occurrences, with only a few gaining media attention while the rest remain hidden.

Sehar mentioned that the recent brutal torture inflicted upon 14-year-old Rizwana has once again brought to light the dark side and twisted mindset of our society.

Kamran further added that the government should also help reduce poverty so that parents are not forced to send their children to work, as people concerned demand. Despite laws in place to restrict child labour, why are minor children still being exploited as a workforce?

The implementation of these laws has always been a matter of concern, with no effective mechanism developed to ensure proper enforcement. The state should realize its due role in fulfilling its responsibilities towards child protection, education, and welfare.

It is important to mention here that the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau has established 25 child protection units in various districts of the province.