How many more childhoods?

Childhood is a time of innocence, joy and learning. To quote Dave Pelzer, "Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul." Sadly, for millions of Pakistani children, these formative years are clouded by the dark realities of child labour. These children labour long hours for a pittance in exploitative conditions - exposed to hazardous tools and environments. This deprivation not only snatches their rights to health, safety, education and leisure but also chains them to lives of social isolation.

The findings from the long-running, nationwide child labour survey reveal the harrowing reality of child labour in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. Around 750,000 children in K-P, 9% of its child population, are subjected to child labour, whereas 18.6% of children in Punjab, around 6.68 million, are working in Child Labour and Adolescent Hazardous Work (CLAHW). Meanwhile, in G-B, 13.1% of minors - about 50,750 - are child workers. Altogether, 7.48 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 are working as child labourers in these regions. With numbers this unsettling, I ask my readers: Are we not morally and socially complicit in letting this crisis persist?

Child labour emanates from poverty, lack of education, ineffective enforcement of child labour laws and other institutional inefficiencies. Countless families rely on their children's wages, which drives many uneducated parents to prioritise short-term financial relief over their children's future. Regrettably, despite child protection laws like the Pakistan Employment of Children Act (1991) and constitutional provisions such as Article 11 (which prohibits child labour) and Article 37(e) (which protects children from exploitation), implementation remains dismally inadequate. Corruption, bureaucratic hurdles and lack of genuine political will further undermine efforts to combat this pressing issue. As a result, child labour persists nationwide.

The repercussions of child labour extend to individual, social and national levels. Physically, these children contend with injuries, fatigue, malnourishment and other debilitating conditions that may prove fatal. Emotionally, lack of support results in stress, isolation, low self-esteem and hopelessness. Socially, it deepens divisions between those with access to education and those without, normalising discrimination. On a national level, it drains the pool of an educated and highly skilled workforce, thereby impeding economic growth.

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children," said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Let's pass this test. A comprehensive strategy is imperative to address this humanitarian crisis. Poverty alleviation programmes including skill development opportunities for adults and social safety nets like cash transfers and food subsidies can reduce dependence on child-generated income. Education should be equitable and accessible to all, backed by scholarships, free meals and transport to encourage enrollment and retention. Authorities must enforce labour regulations and penalise offenders. Consumers should exert considerable pressure on businesses through ethical consumerism, pushing them to ensure child-free supply chains. Likewise, awareness campaigns can shift public perceptions of child labour and underscore the transformative value of education. Last but not least, all-out assistance should be provided to grassroots movements and local NGOs to help them tackle the root causes of child labour and support families in need.

Eliminating child labour in Pakistan is challenging but entirely possible. With strong political will, legal accountability, educational reform, neighborly solidarity and support from civil society, we can ensure that no child is deprived of the joy, freedom and dignity of childhood. We must rise today to secure a bright tomorrow for our children and nation. And if we fail to act, how many more childhoods must be sacrificed?