A puppet show and a theatre were organised by Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), in collaboration with Godh and Sahil, at Hamdard Chowk, Township.
This was a part of activities to create awareness among the people during a weeklong ‘Child Labour Free Week Campaign’ being celebrated by SPARC to mark the World Day against Child Labour. Children from various schools participated in the puppet show and theatre to create mass awareness on the issue of domestic child labour. A large number of people from the community, including men, women and children, were present.
Domestic child labour is rampant in the urban households throughout the country, with almost 62% of them, being girls.
There are thousands of children in the Punjab involved in this worst form of domestic labour. They are not only deprived of their right to education, right to health, right to protection from abuse, exploitation and neglect, right to live with their families and right to play, but their future is also completely blighted.
There is no law that regulates domestic child labour. The working hours are unlimited, with no or little pay, abuse – verbal, emotional physical and sexual is common. There is no minimum age of employment for domestic child labourers and their age is seven years and above.