Child labour continues to be a widespread issue that deprives children of their fundamental rights to education, health, and a proper childhood. You! takes a look…
Fourteen-year-old Rizwana arrived at a hospital in Lahore on July 24, her body battered and broken. Multiple head injuries, open wounds, and broken bones covered her petite frame, and she was suffering from sepsis, a deadly infection. Unable to breathe on her own or even speak, Rizwana’s condition was the grim result of the horrific abuse she had endured.
Rizwana’s story is tragically not unique.
On May 31, 2020, eight-year-old Zohra Shah was brought to Begum Akhtar Rukhsana Memorial Hospital in Rawalpindi. Her crime? Accidentally releasing her employers’ expensive parrots. The brutal assault that followed left her on a ventilator, and despite doctors’ efforts, she succumbed to her injuries the next day. Zohra’s short life ended in unimaginable pain, her death a stark reminder of the severe abuse child domestic workers often faces.
Somewhere else, 16-year-old Uzma was tortured and killed in 2019 for allegedly taking a piece of meat. Uzma’s fate was not any different from them. Her short life ended in unimaginable pain. Her crime? Eating food from her employer’s fridge. The poor little child didn’t even know the morsel that she was swallowing would be the last thing before she departed from this temporary world. All these incidents, among many others, are a stark reminder of the severe abuse child domestic workers often face.
The situation of child labourers in Pakistan - as well as around the world - remains dire. These children, frequently forced to work due to severe poverty, face challenging conditions, abuse, and exploitation. The cycle of violence against them appears unending, and their suffering often goes unnoticed until it reaches a point that can no longer be ignored.
In Zohra’s case, public outrage was loud but fleeting. The employers were detained, and justice seemed served, leading to the incident slipping from collective memory. Yet, it is crucial to reflect on where we stand now, years after Zohra’s tragic death. Have we made progress in protecting these vulnerable children, or have their stories turned into something that has been lost in the dust of the past?
The attention given to the issue often diminishes too quickly, just like boiling water settles down after the fire is extinguished. Each day, we have to remind ourselves that all these incidents are not something that should be forgotten. These cases are not just statistics or numbers but children whose lives have been snatched mercilessly from them even before they got a chance to live.
Their faces and names deserve to be remembered, their stories deserve to be kept alive. Rizwana, Zohra, Uzma, and countless other children who become victims of this cruel fate of child labour deserve more than a moment of outrage.
Childhood is often described as the most memorable and enriching phase of our lives. As soon as we step into the world of adulthood, we often long to go back in time and relive those carefree days of our childhood. Because it is a time filled with innocence, joy, and exploration, surrounded by the warmth of family and friends. Yet, for many children around the world, this blissful picture is far from reality. Instead of enjoying the carefree days of youth and the untainted happiness of childhood, they are thrust into the harsh and unforgiving world of labour.
Child labour continues to be a widespread issue that deprives children of their fundamental rights to education, health, and a proper childhood. These young individuals, compelled by circumstances beyond their control, end up in environments where exploitation and abuse are common. They spend their days working in fields, factories, or households, while their dreams are overshadowed by the worry of daily survival to make ends meet.
It contains the most heinous forms of exploitation, including slavery, forced labour, the use of children in prostitution or illicit activities, and hazardous work that jeopardises their health and safety. These children often endure separation from their families and exposure to severe hazards and are sometimes left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities.
The impact of child labour on physical, emotional, and cognitive development is profound and far-reaching. Hazardous work poses significant risks to children’s health and safety, leading to injuries, chronic illnesses, and, in the worst cases, fatalities. On the other hand, the emotional and psychological toll is equally devastating, with many child labourers experiencing trauma, anxiety, and a deep sense of helplessness.
Children are often forced to work due to poverty, which is one of the leading causes of child labour in Pakistan. Poor economic conditions force parents to rely on their children for help both at home and outside. As a result, these children are forced to drop out of school and become a source of income for their families. Unemployment, natural calamities, pandemics, war, and the loss of parents also contribute to child labour, as children are forced to work to support their families.
Recent data compiled by Sahil, an NGO dedicated to the welfare of children, paints a disturbing picture of child abuse in Pakistan. According to their report, ‘Cruel Numbers 2023’ an average of 11 children were abused every day in 2023, often by those they know and trust - acquaintances and relatives. The report details a total of 4,213 child abuse cases reported across all four provinces, as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). These cases include child sexual abuse, abductions, missing children, and child marriages.
A deep analysis of the data reveals a significant gender divide: 53 per cent of the victims were girls (2,251 cases), and 47 per cent were boys (1,962 cases). The age group most vulnerable to abuse was between 6 and 15 years, with boys being more frequently reported as victims in this age range. These statistics highlight the severe and pervasive nature of child abuse in Pakistan.
It’s disheartening that despite the presence of relevant laws in all provinces, the problem of child labour remains widespread. It’s common to see children involved in dangerous work in brick kilns, carpet-weaving industry, auto repair shops, and domestic work.
Child labour is a difficult issue that has become more complicated by lack of access to education, absence of the rule of law, poor occupational safety measures, and other challenges. Additionally, the government’s failure to fund, equip, and operate child and social protection bureaus or departments reflects its indifferent approach. It shows a lack of concern for the well-being of these young individuals who are forced to give up what should be a carefree phase of their lives.
According to some estimates, Pakistan has the third-highest number of child labourers in the world, following Mauritania and Haiti. The KP Labour Department launched the first-ever Child Labour Survey for 2022-23 across the province, including the newly merged districts. This survey gathered data from 49,734 households, comprising 5,976 urban and 43,758 rural households, achieving a 92.5 per cent response rate. The survey report indicates that the province’s child population aged between 5 and 17 years is approximately 8.28 million, with 11.1 per cent working. Out of these working children, 80 per cent are involved in child labour, and 73.8 per cent are working in hazardous conditions. Among children aged between 14 and 17 years, 21.6 per cent are working, with 15.5 per cent engaged in child labour or unsafe work.
The report identified four major industries for child labour: agriculture, forestry, and fishing at 51.6 per cent; water collection at 19.1 per cent; wholesale and retail trade at 9.7 per cent; and manufacturing at 7.7 per cent.
The report emphasises that child labour has multiple causes, including various socio-economic factors. It states that 44.7 per cent of households are headed by individuals with little or no education, 31.8 per cent are in the poorest wealth condition, 26.3 per cent receive assistance from BISP, 14.6 per cent have experienced the head of household migrating, and 6.6 per cent have lost at least one parent.
The KP-CLS report provides a detailed analysis of the effects of child labour on children. This includes physical and psychological impacts, limited opportunities for a full education, exposure to abuse in the workplace, economic exploitation, and various health consequences.
Recognising the severity of the problem, the Labour Department, with support from UNICEF and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), undertook an in-depth survey across all districts, including the New Merged Districts (NMDs). The KP Child Labour Survey 2022-23 is the second provincial survey in Pakistan, following Punjab’s initiative.
In November 2023, data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics presented to the Senate Secretariat highlighted a large workforce in the agriculture sector, with over 2.51 million workers, including 1.47 million men and 1.04 million women. Additionally, approximately 833,000 labourers - 689,000 men and 144,000 women - work in brick kilns. The report revealed that over 693,000 children aged 10 to 14 are engaged in forced labour in agriculture, and 24,478 children work in brick kilns. Alarmingly, over 399,000 girls and 294,000 boys are labouring in the fields, while 14,500 boys and 10,000 girls are subjected to work in brick kilns.
Despite provincial laws prohibiting child labour and setting age limits, the numbers remain distressing: 436,000 in Punjab, 113,000 in Sindh, 90,000 in Balochistan, and over 54,000 children in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are forced to work in agriculture. Additionally, over 14.7 million boys and girls over the age of 15 are involved in agriculture, and 648,000 children work in brick kilns nationwide. In K-P, 2.934 million children over 15 years old work in agriculture, with 76,500 in brick kilns. Sindh has 1.103 million boys and girls in agriculture, while Balochistan reports 3,251 children in agriculture and over 81,000 in brick kilns.
On September 13, 2021, Pakistan passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Domestic Workers Bill 2021, which became an Act in 2022, banning child labour in domestic work under any circumstances. However, this law applies only to federally administered territories, with provincial governments yet to adopt similar measures.
The Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 sets the minimum employment age at 15 years in Punjab. Children aged 15-18 may be employed only for light work, defined as activities that do not negatively impact a child’s health, security, and education. The Act also prohibits employing domestic workers under bonded labour and requires employers to provide dignified working conditions and occupational safety measures. It mandates the registration of domestic workers with the Punjab Employees’ Social Security Institution and stipulates that workers cannot be asked to perform tasks not specified in their contracts.
The Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2017, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2015 set the minimum labour age at 14.
The Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) by the International Labour Organization (ILO) requires member states to ensure that work performed by domestic labourers under 18 but above the minimum employment age does not deprive them of compulsory education or interfere with their opportunities for further education.
Pakistan lacks strong blended enforcement mechanisms for legislative and policy frameworks on child labour. Despite existing laws, the reality remains unchanged. Work contracts for domestic work are basically non-existent in Pakistan, to provide them work security and rights just any other working person in the country. Meanwhile, structural health measures for domestic workers remain a distant goal.
The absence of written contracts leaves Child Domestic Workers (CDWs) vulnerable to employers’ decisions. These young children rely on their employers’ honesty and goodwill for fair pay and working conditions and are often unaware of the terms and conditions of their employment. The lack of political will and widespread community acceptance of child labour in domestic employment further complicates policy implementation. Despite efforts from numerous organisations, governments, and sectors, there is no unified strategy or plan to combat child labour effectively.
We cannot end child labour until every child is in school, and we will not succeed in ensuring every child is in school until we eradicate child labour. Eliminating tuition fees, providing free textbooks, uniforms, and school transportation, and implementing in-kind transfer initiatives like food for education and conditional cash transfer programmes can encourage parents to send their children to school. But still, all these measures don’t guarantee to end child labour.
To regulate and eventually eradicate child labour, society must play its part. Regardless of cultural norms, we must refrain from becoming desensitised to this issue. By taking action, however small, we can create a ripple effect and build a future where every child has the opportunity to learn, play, and reach their full potential.
Let’s pledge to play our part to ensure no child should become the victim of this cruel fate. Because every child should get a chance to thrive, not just survive.
Sanobar Nadir is a Mass Communication Research Scholar and a freelance content writer.
