‘Media role essential to stop child abuse’

The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) arranged a consultation with print and electronic media on the “Role of Media in Reducing Violence against Children”.
The objective of this consultation was to share the details on violence against children and consult members of the media on highlighting children’s issues to influence policy makers, legislatures and relevant government departments to take necessary measures. The consultation was attended by a visible number of journalists representing print and electronic media including Badar Alam (Editor Herald), Hamid Mir (GEO), Prof. Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh (Dean Mass Communication, Superior University), Dr Rashda Qureshi, Isaar Rana, Hussain Naqi and Salman Abid.
SPARC member Iftikhar Mubarik said that as a signatory of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) it was Pakistan’s obligation to ensure the effective implementation of UNCRC in all parts of the country. The first step would be to put in place child specific and broad based legislative and institutional framework that addresses every aspect of child protection.
Media campaign: He stressed that there was a great need to launch nationwide media campaigns to discourage the culture of violence against children. There is also need to introduce separate law to deal with Child Sexual Abuse. The Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance should be amended to include specific provisions for trafficking of children including trafficking within the country.
Monitoring crimes against children: Speakers unanimously agreed that efforts should be made to develop some kind of system for monitoring crimes against children. The first step should be to see that the police station data related to FIRs and prosecution be made available electronically. They also said that there was need of comprehensive legislative development to ban child labor in all sectors of the economy and this should be initiated and the application of laws needs to be strengthened and implemented through effective penalties.
Child domestic labour: They stressed that child domestic labour was one of the worst forms of child labour. There is a growing demand for child domestic labourers who are preferred over adult workers because it is considered that they are more obedient, argue less and work endless for little of sometimes no wages. Domestic legislation does not adequately distinguish between child work and child labour. Hundreds of children are already employed in this hidden sector in Pakistan and there is an alarming large population of out of school children, particularly in the rural areas, who are vulnerable to becoming child domestic labourer.
Formal sector monitoring: The lack of proper monitoring of child labor even in formal sector has remained the main reason for the increase in child labour in the country. Since the implementation of the Employment of Children Act (ECA) 1991, not a single exclusive labour officer has been appointed under the Factories Act and Shops and Establishment Act to monitor child labour in the formal sector. Unfortunately a huge number of child labourers are working without any legal protection and monitoring. However regardless of the lack of safety at the work place for children, it is pertinent to note that children were vulnerable and sensitive to danger anywhere, especially at home.