Child labour has become widely practised in majority of the developing countries. Before pointing out the plight of child labour and its catastrophic effect on children, let’s explore the difference between child work and child labour. If the work is not affecting adversely the child’s physical health and mental state then that doesn’t count as child labour, as Child Labour generally speaking refers to working of the children that harms them or exploits them in some way physically, psychologically, and morally and restrain the child from attaining fundamental education. Many countries getting affected massively due to child labour practices. It has become a grave and utmost issue in most of the countries that have socio-economic strata differences and poverty is entrenched. Child labour itself isn’t restrained to labour only but it does hail other notorious trafficking acts e.g. Child prostitution, Harassment, Physical abuse and most importantly Rape, but lots of these case do not even get registered.
Global estimates based on the data of UNICEF, ILO and the World Bank indicate that 168 million children between the age of 5 and 16 are engaged in child labour. Pakistan is not lagging behind in child labour. Various laws have been passed on child labour but yet few have been implemented. Paradoxically, it is stated in the constitution of Pakistan that education is compulsory for the children between 5 and 16 but on the other hand the employment of Child Labour act 1991 defines child as a person below the age of 14 and adolescent as a person below the age of 18. The amendment in the constitution has risen the age up to 16 but it hasn’t been followed officially. Many people aren’t still aware of their rights and the rights of their children, so instead of providing them education they use their children to generate money.
Various organisations are working to impede and sweep the child labour practices. UNICEF is one of those organizations that are playing imperative role in educating people and government to eradicate the practices of child labour. Every year UN agencies provide funds to revamp the policies with the collaboration of regime to improve the life of deprived ones and helping in eradicating child labour. Shamefully many parents bring their children in the market with them to sell their goods. Moreover, Children are also engaged in domestic work and it has been surveillance that lot of physical abuse and harassment takes place in such scenario and in past few years some rape cases have arisen. In many foreign countries student does work part time to support themselves but along with that education has been made essential for every child. Appropriate protection is given to children and child protection law is strictly put into practice.
Policy making and implementation are direly different. Lot of eminent people get involved when it comes to establishing laws. But the downfall of Pakistan lies in the fact that very few laws get into practice with proper check and balance and follow up. Child labour is not going anywhere from our society unless government takes corrective action in this regard. Policy alone is doing us no good unless we back it up with implementation. So as a society we need to focus on implementation followed by checks and balance, and corrective actions and when required.
SADIA AHMED
Lahore