CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN CHILD LABOR CAUSES AND SUSTAINS POVERTY

CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN

CHILD LABOR CAUSES AND SUSTAINS POVERTY

Darvesh Karim

Assistant Instructor

Professional Development Center, North

University Road, Konodass, Gilgit.

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While going through a case report of a research study ‘Fading Light’ done by SPARC on the popularity of child trafficking in Sindh, articulated under title ‘Child Labor in Bondage and Forced Labor’, and analyzing some other relevant material about Child Labor in Pakistan, I could only figure out this situation that child labor causes and sustains poverty. Saying this confidently, I can refer to a paper ‘Factors Contributing to Child Labor’ where the writer has very explicitly mentioned that constant poverty, forces the parents to send their children to work for an additional income. Pakistan is sixth most populous country in the world with 155.8 million people ranked as a low income country among South Asian countries. The childhood rights to get education, the chance to play and opportunities for the normal physical development are basic human right denied to millions of children in Pakistan. According to a survey conducted by government of Pakistan in 1996, 3.3 million of the 40 million children were found to be economically active on a full-time basis. This number could be more than given if an independent survey is conducted. Because poverty and economic disparity work as push factors for child labor, which may also lead to the worst forms of child labor. This form of laboring has become the mind set of Pakistani nationals which has been delicately articulated in the World Bank report by assigning ‘Reality Check!’ title which says that, ‘We are so used to child labor in Pakistan that we don’t even notice it!’ This notion further strengths by the other article as cultural context and mind-set regarding work being the best form of education for children, the importance of girls learning domestic work and the importance of physical labor for male children contribute to high rate of child labor and places children in exploitative labor from which it is difficult to escape. When with this mind-set of the nation, child labor involves in the work force, which is according to World Bank’s repot 3.3 million working children equal to 7% of total workforce of Pakistan, then it effects the over all country’s economy as employers prefer to hire young children because they can extract more work from children at lower wages, in the process bringing down the over all wages because child labor is demand driven phenomenon as it is cheap and easily available in developing countries like Pakistan through the organized mafia or groups. This has been proved through the study that out of total population of children in Sindh 41,218 children – 39,157, 95% males and 2,061, 5% females have been trafficked from rural to rural and urban areas within and from Sindh, with or without child’s consent. Forced labor was identified as the main purpose for child trafficking. There is an organized mafia/group and market, to provide child labor and this is matched by a plentiful supply of children, because poverty stricken children are an easy victim for those who seek to make a profit by exploiting their vulnerability. In some cases parents did not realize they were trafficking their children, through all the conditions of trafficking were being met. The number of boys trafficked is estimated at 12,366 in 2001 and 10,304 in both 2002 and 2003. Child labors have been the demand of every industry in Pakistan, while the norms and regulations have been identified by government as hazardous forms of child labor like work power driven cutting machinery like saws, shears, guillotines and agricultural machines (thrashers, fodder cutting machines), mixing and manufacture of pesticides, insecticides and fumigation, lifting and carrying of heavy weight, but who cares. It is amazing to know that in Pakistan, the implementation of labor laws in general and child labor laws in particular are either weak or totally nonexistent. According to law, the minimum age of child labors is 14 years but children less than eight years are found laboring all over the country. The minimum age in worst forms of child labor is 18, but this is very often ignored both by the employers and the parents as well. Employment of Children Act 1991 prohibits employment of children less than 14 years in hazardous occupations. Only a little bit respect is accorded to the international conventions to which the government is signatory, but as far as its actual application and implementation of children act is concerned or making them practically part of the national policy; a prerequisite for ratification. If at all, any measures taken by the government in this regard are due to the international pressure or fear of sanctions and not something which the government want to do because they are obliged to do so for the betterment of our children. But in contrary there is the worst situation in this regard exists even today in 21^st century.

Factors contributing to child labor are country’s socio-economic and political reality, then large population with higher population growth rate, 70% of the total population living in rural areas with subsistence on agriculture, low productivity and poverty, unpaid family helpers especially in agricultural activities, discriminating social attitude towards girls and women and inadequate educational facilities. The survey indicates the reasons of child laboring as to assist in house enterprise 69% and to supplement household income 28% while the causes contributing to child labor in Pakistan are poor infrastructure and low regard of Education. Consequently, the child labor causes and sustains poverty and unemployment in the country. Poverty and restlessness increases. To remedy this situation only eradication of poverty will not be much sufficient, as children from poor or indebted families and communities, who are also helpless to catch of higher income and standards of living, but need to initiate respecting practically world class standards and rules of child labor strictly so that the mind-set and culture of tolerance towards child labor could be changed, ultimately every one can be best fitted in their right positions. Children to study and play while the adults to different employments, which will ultimately change the present scenario, to which I had termed as ‘Child Labor Causes and Sustains poverty’ in the beginning of this paper.