Child domestic labour

Child domestic labour in Pakistan remains relatively common, despite decades of awareness efforts and legislation to punish employers. The ILO estimates that one in four households in Pakistan employs a child for domestic work, often subjecting them to hazardous conditions. This practice not only deprives children of their right to a childhood but also exposes them to exploitation and abuse. The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) has announced a new awareness campaign which, among other things, aims to address child labour by promoting education and targeting demand. At present, despite legal restrictions, one of the reasons child labour remains popular is social conservatism — people are less threatened by children working in their homes, rather than grown men or women. Kids also command lower salaries and are easier to subjugate, or ‘train’, as proponents of child labour may argue.

Child workers are, however, also extremely vulnerable to physical, sexual and mental abuse. Addressing this requires nothing short of an outright ban on child labour and full enforcement of such a law to ensure violators learn their lesson. The NCRC has been pushing a new law that would ban the employment of children under 18 as live-in workers which, while not enough, is at least a start. On the supply side, education reforms to encourage school enrolment are needed, perhaps along the lines of stipends for poor students, which may encourage school attendance over work. But we also need to seriously address the parents who endanger their own children by sending them off to work. This is an admittedly controversial area, as it involves the state involving itself in parental decisions. But while some cases do deserve sympathy, all too often, we see wastrels and addicts forcing their children to work. Such parents need to suffer criminal penalties and be separated from their children, perhaps permanently, because the state needs to first and foremost be an advocate for its most defenceless citizens.