Child labour is a very complex problem with its root in the socio-economic environment of the country. It stems from poverty, lack of education and health facilities and better avenues of employment. Eradication of child labour is indeed a formidable task. While legislations do help to a considerable extent, mitigation of child labour problem is not possible unless its fundamental raison d’etre is attacked. Alleviation of poverty, check on population growth are the essentials. Education and health facilities national conscience is required. This can be done through mass communication regarding the evils of the problem in the media and running anti-child labour campaigns.
Experience has shown that withdrawing children from the worst forms is possible, but cannot be successful without a strong political will. This ‘will’ must be embedded in a national policy that addresses issues such as improved legislation and enforcement; improved methodologies for identifying these children; awareness raising at all levels of society and the provision of viable alternatives for the children and their families, including rehabilitation measures.
Child labour is a reality in Pakistan. Many organizations have estimated that there could be anywhere from 8 to 19 million child labourers in the country. The age of a child is defined from age five to age fourteen, of which there are 40 million in Pakistan, according to a survey last year by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, funded by International Labour Organization’s IPEC (International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour). This means that nearly half of all children are working. This is unacceptable given that a principle of policy in Pakistan is to provide free education and rid the country of illiteracy.
In many cases, the parents of child labourers cannot afford an education for their children or they believe that education does not lead to marketable skills. However, statistics show that most child labourers go on to have children that do not attend school and the cycle of poverty continues.
The definition given by the International Labour Organization (ILO) is fourfold: working during early age; overwork or giving too much time to work; lots of pressure to work; and lastly, a readiness to work for low pay.
Article 11 of the Pakistani Constitution prohibits slavery, trafficking and the participation of children under 14 in hazardous employment. Hazardous employment includes many different occupations such as transport, factories, mines, work involving agricultural machinery and pesticides, and carpets.
In 1995, the government passed the Employment of Children Rules, which mandates, among other things, that work places have to be clean and that proper ventilation has to be provided, according to The State of Pakistan’s Children 2006 report by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC).
Pakistan has also ratified several conventions on child labour including the 1957 ILO Forced Labour Convention and in 1990, the UN Rights of the Child Convention, the SPARC report states. In spite of all the positive laws that Pakistan has enacted, there were two laws passed by the government that ensure the continuation of child labour. In 1991, the Employment of Children Act was passed, which allows families to employ children under 14. This regulation means that government inspectors will not investigate homes. In 1992, the government passed the Bonded Labour Abolition Act, which cancelled all the debts of people in bonded labour, according to the SPARC report. Bonded labour effectively means that families have acquired debts, which are repaid through work. The debts pass to the next generation, ensuring a continuation of poverty. Although the passing of that act may seem like a positive step, the children who are bonded or their parents are often illiterate and would not know about the existence of this law. Thus, bonded labour continues.
There have been many positive laws passed that regulate child labour and Pakistan is a party to many conventions that prohibit child abuse in labour, but these practices are still a reality. In many industries, children suffer injuries that should not happen in childhood and they lose a very important thing: the opportunity to play and be with other children their own age. Most of them do not go to school and miss the chance to learn skills that will last their whole lives.