June 19: JUNE 12 was Day against Child Labour. It is a shame that we still have to observe such a day. But we must if we have to make our society less insensitive towards children. On this occasion, Sparc, which has been struggling since 1992 for the protection of the rights of the child in Pakistan, launched a weeklong campaign focusing on child domestic labour. It demands a ban on it. This is a laudable move though the strategy needs to be well-thought-out. As is the case in Pakistan, anomalies abound. First of all, we do not even have reliable data. How many children are there in the labour force? The government has not conducted a survey to collect information since 1996 when it stated that three million children were working in the country. Today various agencies give much … [Read more...]
Beggars and rented infants
June 18: IT is a common scene on Lahore roads that women beggars are holding sleepy infants while begging at high noon, exposing the infants to 47 degrees Centigrade heat. It is reported by a television channel that infants are hired and it is surmised that they are administered opium pills to make them sleepy for the whole day. This has created a new breed of opium-addict population. It is proposed that the traffic police, helped by medical doctors, be deputed to check such drugged infants carried by women beggars to invite the sympathy of people for doling out money to them. We must save these children from being exposed to any hazardous condition of heat at high noon. If this practice of using helpless infants for getting alms spreads further, we may see scores of beggars … [Read more...]
Child Labour Day
June 17: Sir: This is with reference to “The World Day against Child Labour” observed throughout the world including Pakistan on June 12. Our country has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989, ILO Minimum Age Convention for Admission to Employment (C138) 1973 and ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (C182) 1999, but we do not have the statistical data to know the state of child labour in the country. The only child labour survey conducted in Pakistan was in 1996. Then the total number of children working was around 3.3 million, which is way below the correct figure that the experts believe is somewhere around 11-12 million, half of them being under the age of 10 years. After the devolution of the labour ministry in the wake of the 18th … [Read more...]
Break the cycle: ‘Suicide bombers worst example of child labour’
PESHAWAR, June 14: Speakers at the seminar ‘No to Child Labour’ underscored the importance of a joint effort from all stakeholders, including civil society, the government and media to put an end to child labour. The event which took place at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on World Day against Child Labour was arranged by the Provincial Child Labour Unit (PCLU) and International Labour Organization (ILO). The chief guest, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) lawmaker Meraj Humayun Khan, spoke about the birth of the child labour movement in Pakistan. It started in coordination with the ILO in 1994; over the years repeated efforts have been made to bring all stakeholders onboard to address this very pressing issue. An increase in underage employment can be attributed to population explosion … [Read more...]
Made in Sialkot: Child labour free footballs a success story, says ILO
LAHORE, June 14th: The north-eastern city of Sialkot is being hailed as a success story in the fight against child labour in Pakistan by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Sialkot, a city famous for producing millions of footballs each year, will likely supply the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The ILO Country Director Francesco d’Ovidio believes that there will be no misery or exploitation of children in Sialkot to mar the joy of sport. Talking to The Express Tribune on June 12 – The World Day Against Child Labour – d’Ovidio explained that combating child labour is possible with ongoing effort. “The ILO has been working in Sialkot with several companies and factories that previously employed children. We created awareness among them and today, no factories … [Read more...]