Child Labour

Child labour is a curse. Child labour hurts and exploits kids. It is a work to which children are forced, in violation of international and national rules. This is a serious problem prevailing throughout the world including Pakistan specially in the rural areas of the country. It snatches the childhood and innocence of children. Children also have rights which should be accepted globally.

The first reason of child labour is illiteracy. Parents of all such children are not much educated and aware of the importance of education and knowledge. Another reason is poverty behind child labour. The poor parents are forced to send their children into practical life at an early stage. They cannot afford their school and study expenditures. Such children face a life of hardship and deprivation. Their childhood lost and they also become criminals as getting involved in criminal activities. They want to get rid of their miserable life.
Social behaviours, social injustice and lack of political will are the main reasons that children work and do not go to school. In some places it is people think it is normal for children to work instead of going to school. This may related to a poor education system, discrimination and the vulnerable position of girls, inflation, illness or bureaucratic obstacles.

Other reasons are children's rights are not respected. There is no decent work for  adults. Elders often find it difficult to get jobs. People accept it and give excuses for it. The industrialists and factory owners find it profitable to make children their employee. They can save their money by giving them low income.

Children with no parents don't find anyone to support them. So they are forced to work. Another reason is population, many Asian countries including Pakistan are over populated.

Major reason is that children are not intelligent enough to know they are being exploited. Feudalistic society is also a big reason as father is a servant and the feudal lord wants his son as well to be a servant. Children are working everywhere. They work in small hotels, food-stalls, as domestic servants, cleaning floors in workshops, office boys and staff assistants. They are seen cleaning cars parked and roads, polishing shoes, selling cheap items and many other things. There are nearly eight million children working like this. The main sectors are the agriculture sector, carpet weaving and household service. These children earn money for their families. They cannot enjoy their childhood. They cannot go to school to get education. Sometimes continuous over work cause them fall in various diseases.

One should admit that reduction of child labour will be a distant dreams as long as the socio-economic states of these families is not improved. The developed countries are pressurizing developing countries like Pakistan to take steps to eliminate child labour. According to the current situation the developed countries may stop imports of those goods that are made by children. In some of our cottage industries like making of carpets , sports goods children are employed in larger numbers. These sports goods and carpets which are exported, may soon lose their market out of the country if the producers of these carpets will not stop child labour.

Child labour is, no doubt, an evil that should be done away as soon as possible. The prevalence of child labour has worse reflects on society that is not able to stop this evil. But in a society where many families may have to suffer hunger if their children are withdrawn from work. These families have to send their children to work, and the future of these innocents is ruined, as that is the only choice for them to survive in this world. Therefore unless the social and economic conditions of the poor families are improved, Pakistan has to live with child labour.

The government and non-government organizations should take some steps to tackle with this problem of child labour. They should make rule that child labour below fifteen years of age is a criminal offence. They should encourage rich people to donate funds for building hospitals, clinics and purchases of medicines for children.