Tackling child labour

According to the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017-18, the labour force participation of those in the age group of 10 to 14 years is 8 per cent – including 10 per cent of boys and 6 per cent of girls.

Federal and provincial governments have made significant progress over the passage of legislation against child labour. However, according to the 2017 report of the Bureau of International Labour Affairs, Pakistan’s federal and provincial laws on child labour are not completely in compliance with international standards. Furthermore, the report stresses the need for strengthening mechanisms for the enforcement of these laws. It is indeed timely that after a hiatus of 23 years, Pakistan is conducting a National Child Labour Survey, launched this year, which will provide a clearer picture of the enormity and dimensions of this issue.

Historically, child labour existed and was widespread in the 19th century in North America and Europe but declined towards the turn of the 20th century due to the changing nature of industry and societal norms. The nexus between child labour, fertility, schooling opportunities, cost of raising children, and economic growth is very strong.

According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report, out-of-school children are four times more likely to be engaged in child labour, with poverty being a major driver. In poorer families, the decision to have more children is purely economic. They are meant to supplement household income.

As a first step to abolish this practice, it is imperative that Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan be enforced: this stipulates that the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such a manner as determined by law.

However, prior to its enforcement, there are certain prerequisites that will need to be introduced, such as establishing more schools, upgrading and renovating existing ones, building partnerships with the private sector to enhance access to affordable schooling, allowing multiple shifts, making free textbooks and uniforms available, and conditional cash transfers to encourage poorer families to send their children to school. Changes must be introduced in the curricula, with a focus on imparting technological skills that enhance employment opportunities in the local as well as in the global economy that rewards knowledge. Once parents see the long-term economic benefits of investing in education, they will start thinking of having fewer children who are more educated and skilled.

Improved access to family planning services will help parents better plan their families, and to have no more children than the number they can feed, clothe, and educate. Old-age social protection measures such as pension schemes and health insurance for the aged will also lower parents’ dependence on the economic support of their children.

Research evidence shows that an important factor contributing to child labour is the health status of parents. In societies where there is a high outlay on public health expenditures, individuals lead healthier and more productive lives with a lower incidence of child labour.

Another anti-child labour strategy is to invest in enlarging the industrial base of the country and in human capital, converting unskilled to skilled labour that can earn higher wages. A critical input for industry is to harness technological advancements that allow a higher per capita output. This will increase the wage differentials between parents and their children, making the economic gains from child labour less striking.

Economists believe that Pakistan can achieve brisk economic prosperity by investing in human capital, creating space for lowering fertility, and raising educational levels – all three are critical determinants in ending child labour.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2019.

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