CHILD LABOR

DEFINITION:

The term ‘child labor’ is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their
potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to
work that:
- is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and
- interferes with their schooling by:
- depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;
- obliging them to leave school prematurely; or
- requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

EXPLICIT CHILD LABOR:

Not all work done by children should be classified as child labor that is to be targeted for
elimination. Children’s or adolescents’ participation in work that does not affect their health and
personal development or interfere with their schooling, is generally regarded as being something
positive. This includes activities such as helping their parents around the home, assisting in a
family business or earning pocket money outside school hours and during school holidays. These
kinds of activities contribute to children’s development and to the welfare of their families; they
provide them with skills and experience, and help to prepare them to be productive members of
society during their adult life.

In its most extreme forms, child labor involves children being enslaved, separated from their
families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets
of large cities – often at a very early age. Whether or not particular forms of “work” can be
called “child labor” depends on the child’s age (below the age of 15 or 18), the type and hours of
work performed, the conditions under which it is performed and the objectives pursued by
individual countries. The answer varies from country to country, as well as among sectors within
countries.
SITUATION ANALYSIS IN PAKISTAN:

Child labor is a sad truth of Pakistan and unfortunately it prevails in many forms in the
country. According to a survey conducted, out of the estimated 40 million children in Pakistan,
approximately 19 million are working as child laborers.
This is unacceptable given that a principle of policy in Pakistan is to provide free education and
rid the country of illiteracy. In many cases, the parents of child laborers cannot afford education
or they believe that education does not lead to marketable skills. Unfortunately the rate of child
labor is increasing in Pakistan. It is primarily due to the reason that 25% percent of people are
living below poverty-line in Pakistan and they are unable to fulfill their basic needs, hence they
have to force their children to struggle in such a young age.
In Karachi, large employment opportunities, burgeoning population and the availability of cheap
labor might be the contributing factors for the increasing prevalence of child labor. It is very sad
to see these young children who should be going to schools at this age are going to kilns and
factories and the hands that should be holding pens and books are being used to lift heavy
weights of bricks or changing heavy tires of cars at auto repair shops. Every child in Pakistan, in
fact all over the country has a right to be educated, he has the right to enjoy his childhood and
play freely! The government and even the local citizens of Pakistan should play their part in
eradicating child labor and provide these children with better opportunities.

STATISTICS:

The nationally representative child labor survey estimated the population of child labor in
Pakistan to be 3.3 million, out of which 2.4 million (73 percent) were boys and 0.9 million (27
percent) girls.7 Sector analysis showed that only a minority worked in the formal sector (textile,
leather, paper, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, sports and surgical instruments industries), while the
majority worked in the informal sector (agriculture industry, carpet industry, carpentry,
restaurants, street workers, beggars, and rag-picking). Bonded labor and domestic child labor
were also major informal sectors where children were working in Pakistan.13 Majority of child
labor was employed in the agriculture sector. According to the survey, only one-third (33.2
percent) of the children in labor were literate compared with the national literacy rate of
51.6%.17 Male child labor was more educated than females and child laborers in urban areas
were more educated than in the rural areas. This compared well with the general trend in
Pakistan where male literacy is 63.7% and female is 39.2%. Overall, 69.7% of population in
urban and 41.6% in rural areas is literate.17 Close to half (46 per cent) of children were working
more than the normal working hours (35 hours per week).

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LAWS THAT PROHIBITS THE CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN

The Constitution of Pakistan contains provisions for the economic and social well-being of the
people and for the promotion of social justice. Fundamental rights with regard to the security of
life or liberty, prohibition of slavery and forced labor, and the right to form associations or
unions, among others, are enshrined in the Constitution.

• Article 3: the state shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual
fulfillment of fundamental principle, from each according to his ability and to each according to
his work.
• Article 11(3): No child below the age of 14 years shall be engaged in any factory or mine or
any other hazardous employment.
• Article 25(A): The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age
of five to sixteen years in such manner as determined by law.
• Article 37(e): The state shall make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work,
ensuring that women and children are not employed in vacations unsuited to their age or sex, and
for maternity benefits for women in employment.