Invisible workers

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to education and the right to play - for the simple fact that they are children. Nothing else is meant to be expected of them. It is during the crucial beginning years that children learn about the world, understand their role in it and exercise their curiosity to develop skills that will help them later in life. But due to lax regulations, poverty and low literacy rates, the children of Sindh remain deprived of the basic tenets of childhood.

A recent survey conducted by the Sindh Labour Department, assisted by UNICEF and the Bureau of Statistics Sindh, revealed that over 1.6 million children aged 10 to 17 are involved in some form of labour, of which 50.4 per cent are exposed to hazardous and exploitative conditions. Excessive working hours with inadequate food and water are deplorably a norm, but many children are even forced to handle unsafe tools and machinery.

While child labour has significantly decreased as compared to 1996, the numbers that stand today are no cause for celebration. There are approximately 4.1 million out-of-school children in Sindh and child labour practices dramatically exacerbate this crisis, specially for girls aged 14 to 17 who have to manage a 'second shift' with household chores.

The complexity of the child labour crisis demands compound solutions. Families living in poverty often resort to sending their kids into employment or bonded labour believing they have no other viable option. This crisis is the culmination of low literacy, poor family planning, inflation and opportunistic business practices. Therefore, merely outlawing child labour will never be enough. The rulers must protect children by providing free education and ensuring that their families are not left to suffer as a result.