Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) with support of Save the Children organized a Seminar on “A Child Employed is a future destroyed” at local hotel on Thursday. Speakers said ending child labour requires immediate action, augmented motivation and cooperative partnerships at all levels.
Riaz Fatyana Chairman, National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice said Pakistan is signatory to several international conventions which demand immediate and effective measures to eradicate child Labour and forced Labour in all their forms. These commitments require urgent action on eradication of child Labour. Through provision of quality education and punitive action in case of violence against children. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, contains provisions pertaining to child labour.
He further added that the government is very much aware of the issues, the government is primly focusing on child Labour. Measures are taken to provide quality education for children. We are committed as a state to ending child labour in all its forms, in accordance to International Convention on Rights of the Child. He also added that Child labour survey to be completed this year.
Ms. Syma Nadeem Federal Parliamentary Secretary, Federal Ministry, Inter Provincial Coordination, said Child Labour is one of the major issues related to the child protection not only in Pakistan but all over the world. She added that Pakistan acknowledges forced labour, slavery and external trafficking in documents although a lot of administrative measures are still required to completely eradicate this evil practice.
Khalida Ahmed, Member Board of Directors, SPARC mentioned that Pakistan already has the second largest population of out-of-school children in the world and the Covid-19 pandemic has forced hundreds of thousands of others to drop out and join work force.
She further added education is a crucial component of any effective effort to eliminate child labour, reducing the costs of schooling for example lowering or removing school fees, providing noontime meals at school, offering vocational training programs for older children, organizing credit and other income-generating activities for parents and family members of legal working age can be the way forward. She also hassled about the rise of unemployment due to COVID. Pandemic wreak havoc on family income-led more children into labour as households use every available means to survive. Children already in child labour may be working longer hours or under worsening conditions, which causes significant harm to their health and safety.
