"child's hands are too small to work"
Child labor is the working of children in any office, industry, or factory below the working age assigned by the government. Child labor exists for the last many decades where they exploit children mentally, physically, and socially. Instead of getting an education and enjoying their childhood, they are forced to participate in the labor force to earn money. Many children between the ages 5 -15 worked for 10-12 hours to earn little amount of money. These children mainly worked in agriculture, factories, mining, brick factories shoes repair, car cleaning, carpet weaving, etc.
Millions of Pakistani children are forced into child labor due to different circumstances. Such as poverty, unemployment, lack of parents' education, lack of access to education, and overpopulation. A rise in the number of children aged between 5 to 11 years in child labor is in an alarming position, which needs to address. About 11 million children in Pakistan perform domestic tasks, work in industry and work in the brick-making industry. Pakistan has the world's second-highest number of children who do not attend school.
Most of the poor families force their children to work in hazardous conditions despite facing physical, emotional, mental, and social exploitation. Child labor is growing all over the world, especially in developing countries and Pakistan is also the victim of this growing phenomenon.
Millions of children in Pakistan are pushed to child labor as a result of COVID -19. As a pandemic wreak havoc on family income due to this children are forced to participate in child labor. COVID -19 raises poverty, due to this increase in child labor is the only hope for survival.
One study suggests that a 1% increase in poverty leads to a 0.7% increase in child labor. Children from poorer households are more likely to be in child labor compare to children from richer families. Another reason for child labor is gender disparity. Children in child labor are less likely to live with both parents. child labor is higher in rural areas than in urban areas. This is because in the rural areas people are mostly engaged in agriculture and have no more employment opportunities that's why they force their children to work with them. Child labor is more venerable to health hazards especially to physical hazards like pain and injury.
To reduce the child labor rate government has to reduce the poverty rate. Because child labor is directly related to poverty, once poverty will be in control then child labor will be reduced. secondly, the government should provide employment opportunities to the citizens so they will not force their children to work. In addition, the government should control the population because due to overpopulation poverty and unemployment increase.