Awareness must be raised and the attention of parents ought to be diverted towards educating their children
KARACHI: Child labour is a long-standing challenge that Pakistan faces. It refers to the employment of children for work, leading to mental, moral, physical and social harm. It is frustrating that the rate of child labour has not decreased in any substantial manner in recent times. Increasing poverty in the country has forced parents to compel their children to work in order to eke out an income for survival. As a result, there is a significant number of children below the age of 14 who work in factories and to earn between Rs50 and Rs100 a day.
Poverty and inflation have played a lethal role in promoting child labour. The real causes behind this menace are the lack of commitment and sincerity of the government to protect children from exploitation. There is a dire need to end child labour in this country. Awareness must be raised and the attention of parents ought to be diverted towards educating their children. For this, the government must take necessary steps to deal with the challenge.
Iqra Javed
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2014.
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