Child Labour
My name is Irsa Khan. I am an LL.B student. I reflect a diverse personality and possess qualities such as ambition, generosity and thoughtfulness. I believe change depends on person to person or when we start living for people who need us or who are in wait for change, as also stated by Mother Teresa. I did not choose law to fulfil my personal ambition but my main motto is to make this world a better place for children involved in child labour. It is frustrating to see this major issue being neglected despite laws such as Article 3, 11(3), 25 (A), 37 (E) of the Constitution of Pakistan and certain legislations, including the Employment of Children Act 1991 and the Employment of Children Rules 1995, being present. In spite of these laws, according to a survey conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2014, Pakistan still has the world’s third largest child and forced labor industry.
Essentially the question that arises is what is to be blamed the most: the uneven distribution of wealth and resources; the expensive primary and secondary schools; or the government schools which people no longer consider as beneficial or up to date. Also, the ILO suggests that poverty is the greatest single cause behind child labour, evidenced by the fact that an average Pakistani has to feed 9 or 10 people with his or her daily wage. Or more importantly, the illiterate parents’ lack of concern who without taking into account their resources gave birth to these children.
Honestly, I do not want to blame people who have hired them but in reality it’s the parents who are using them as a means of earning. They are not motivating them to face the world or to achieve their goals but are motivating them to bow down before others. It’s not only poverty that forces parents to send their children to do hazardous jobs but also that they are reluctant to come to their support and send them to schools, perhaps due to their own lack of education.
There are certain laws passed against people who employ child labourers, for instance section 14 of the Employment of Children Act. According to this Act whoever employs a child or permits any child to work shall be punishable for imprisonment for a term which may extend to 1 year or fined up to PKR 20,000. It’s an alarming situation for our country; in December 2014 the US Department of Labour’s list of goods produced by child or forced labour reported that 6 out of 9 goods were made by child labourers in Pakistan.
Laws are apparently neglected as Article 25 (A) of the Constitution says that the state has to provide compulsory education which means that children cannot work before the age of 16. Moreover, the Factories Act 1934 (amended in 1997) states that under section 4 of the Employment of Children’s Act 1991, child employment is prohibited in any occupation connected with hazardous or harsh working conditions.
Child labour not only deprives children of their childhood but also harms their physical, moral and mental well being as they are deprived of their fundamental right to attain education and seek opportunities for a successful future. Laws should be made in our country keeping in mind child planning in areas where there is a lack of resources or where children are either not sent to school or leave school prematurely. Most importantly, action should be taken against their parents. The government should not neglect this issue and should pass more laws as these children are the future of Pakistan.
Despite the fact that countries around the world are taking action to eliminate and prevent child labour, the progress is far too slow. Continued persistence of child labour poses a threat not only to the millions of children whose lives are affected, but also to the achievement of global development goals.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of CourtingTheLaw.com or any other organization with which she might be associated.
