Poverty, the main reason of growing child labour in Pakistan
Saturday, May 5th, 2012 6:00:41 by Muhammad Ahmad Nazir
In the entire world, child labour has become a major issue and it has become a threatening problem in third world countries like Pakistan.
This international problem is getting intense with every passing day because a large number of children are forced to do labour jobs, which is completely against the law.
Approximately 11 million children in Pakistan are working labour jobs in every nook and corner of the country.
Children between the ages of 5-16 are forced to do the odd jobs because they belong to the poor and downtrodden class of the society and they have no other choice but to work and earn a little amount to support their families.
Such children usually work on various workshops, tea stalls, hotel and restaurants, offices and the like.
They are treated like baggers and they have not been given the right to go to school and get education. The parents of these children cannot afford to send their children to schools.
Poverty is the most important and basic reason and driving force that compels these children to work like labours and earn a little money at the end of the day. The bad financial condition aggravates the problem of child labour.
Unemployment is another reason which forces the parents to send their children to school as these poor people know that their children will remain unable to get a respectable position in society as they will not get a good job.
Lack of education also becomes a factor that contributes in the growth of child labour. They do not have the ability to realise what they are doing with the future of their children.
They push them out to face the hatred and indifference of people.
This attitude with children destroys their personality and makes them submissive just like servants.
It also damages their self esteem and forces them to bear the inhuman behaviour of those who are higher in status to these children.
The educated and civilised people do not even think for a while and start rebuking these innocent children who are there at our service not by the choice of their own.
They are the victims of their circumstances and we are taking benefit of their compulsions.
Government should take rapid steps in this regard and should punish those who employ these children in their workshops, hotels or other places.
They should also provide the basic rights to these children and should also help them in getting education. They should be provided with all those basic rights which other children of higher classes possess.
Tags: child labour, international problem, parents, Poverty, UnemploymentShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=21573
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This is true that poverty is the main reason behind child labor. But NGOs in India through their scientific approach have shown that many other factors also contribute to this problem like environment , culture etc. It should be kept in mind that dealing with poverty will improve the situation but not eliminate it. TO eliminate this problem we should hit it from all sides simultaneously.