ALLIA FATIMA NAQVI
Islamabad
Not letting children play with toys or study but imposing them to work refers to child labour. Unfortunately Pakistan is amongst the top 10 countries with a high rate of child labour.
It is one of the major problems of Pakistan as occur mainly because of poverty. About 30 percent of the Pakistan’s population is below the poverty line. So the parents have no other option but to send their children out to earn for them.
These innocent kids can’t go to schools due to financial problems. They can’tenjoy the pleasures of their childhood. But this is not fair; they also have exactly the same rights that other children have.
These little creatureskill their aspirations, dreams and other wishes just because they are pressed to earn a living for themselves and for their families. It is also a fact that these children play a key role in sustaining the economiclife of their families.
According to the national child labor survey, approximately 3.3 million children below 14 years are working as a labour in Pakistan. This includes both boys and girls — boys form 73 percent and the girls 27 percent of the child labour.
Here a question arises that what we all are doing to stop this? It is a social evil.It requires cumulative efforts to wipe it out.NGOs can play a vital role in drawing attention of government toward child labour.
The government must take notice of it, and give certain monetary or non-monetary incentives to the families that live below the poverty line so that their children can receive education instead of working out for cash.
Media should also play a significant role in the elimination of child labour. Firms or houses where children are employed as workers or servants must be exposed. This would give birth to a feeling of consciousness in those who take services of these children, neglecting their rights.
If taken, these initial steps could bring about a change and eradicate the factor of child labour in the country because small hands can handle a pen better. Tools are not for them but toys are for them.