Securing future

?Can we really curb the misery of children working at workshops, kilns and footpaths in hazardous conditions, when the laws regarding child labour are not properly implemented in Pakistan?? a young and energetic employee of an NGO asked this question at the seminar regarding current situation of child labour. This query is actually a big question mark on the so-called steps of government machinery for the eradication of child labour. It is pertinent to note that the data of Federal Bureau of Statistics shows that 3.3 million of the 40 million children (in the 5-14 years age group) are economically active on a full-time basis. Of the 3.3 million working children, 73 per cent (2.4 million) are boys and 27 per cent (0.9 million), girls. Whereas children?s contribution to work in rural areas is about eight times greater than in urban areas. The number of economically active children in the 10-14 years age group is more than four times the child in the 5-9 years age group.
Rural children are mostly engaged in the agricultural sector (74 percent), whereas in urban areas, most working children (31 percent) are engaged in the manufacturing sector. In both areas, the percentage of girls working in manufacturing and services is higher than that of boys; this indicates that girls are more likely to work in the manufacturing and services sectors as compared to boys. This situation becomes worse as they are working in hazardous conditions in manufacturing sector as their lives and health remain at risk. It is also observed that in the non-agricultural sectors, most of the working children (93 per cent) are engaged in informal activities.
A considerable proportion of the working children in the 5-14 years age group (46 per cent) are working more than the normal working hours, i.e. 35 hours per week, with 13 per cent working 56 hours or more per week. In urban areas, 73 per cent of the working children work more than the normal working hours, which is significantly higher than in rural areas (42 per cent). This shows that working conditions are generally worse in urban areas.
In 1998, the Government of Pakistan constituted a task force on child labour under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister of Labour with the mandate of formulating policies and strategies for the elimination of child and bonded labour in Pakistan and to prepare plans for the implementation of policies and strategies. The National Policy and Plan of Action (NPPA) (May 2000) calls for progressive elimination of child labour; immediate eradication of the worst forms of child labour; a monitoring system to implement the National Plan of Action; prevention of child labour by offering alternative education, and ensuring primary education and skills training to the target children.
Child protection bureau and a help line were also launched at provincial level in Punjab. But these efforts could not bring any significant change in the lives of child labourers, as the major factors responsible for child labour were not eradicated.
According to survey findings of UNICEF, the major factors responsible for child labour in Pakistan are large population with high population growth rate; Almost three-fourths (70 per cent) of the total population living in rural areas, with subsistence agricultural activities; low productivity and prevalence of poverty; unpaid family helpers, especially in agricultural activities; discriminating social attitude towards girls and women and inadequate educational facilities.
Ineffectual implementation of policies and lack of concern of governments could not free children from labouring at innocent age.
Working children come from large families in the low-income bracket. The average household size of working children was found to be eight members, which is higher than the national average. A higher proportion of economically active girls fall under households with nine plus members. The most cogent reasons given by parents/guardians for letting their child work are to assist in house enterprise (69 per cent), and to supplement the household income (28 per cent). The former is pronounced in rural households, whereas the latter is more significant in urban families.
One-third of the working children are literate, which shows that mere completion of primary education is not an effective deterrent to child labour. School enrolment indicates that economically active children who are not enrolled in school (34.2 per cent) are higher than economically active children combined with school (13.2 per cent). This shows that enrolment is negatively correlated with the involvement of children in economic activity. Education attainment is low because of limited opportunities resulting from inaccessibility of schools; inability of parents to afford schooling costs; irrelevance of school curriculum to real needs, and restrictions on girls? mobility in certain parts of the country.
For the elimination of child labour, the core focus must be on awareness raising; withdrawal of children engaged in the worst forms of child labour and their rehabilitation through education and vocational training; community mobilization; situation analysis and development of a database on child labour; law enforcement; capacity building of the relevant ministries/departments; enhancing education and skills training opportunities for children; empowerment of poor families, and promoting coordination with functional and social partners.