Law implementation, awareness stressed to control child labour

ISLAMABAD: Efforts should be made to control child labour by implementation of laws and creating public awareness on this issue, said speakers at a one-day capacity-building workshop titled “Activating media in combating worst forms of child labour in Pakistan” on Tuesday.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) organised the workshop.

Speakers said there were more than 3.3 million child labours across Pakistan engaged in work that deprived them of adequate education, good health and basic freedom. They said this social, economic and human rights issue reduced children hopes for a better future.

Federal Minister for Labour Khursheed Shah, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Samsam Bukhari, Federal Minister for Human Rights Mumtaz Alam Gilani, ILO Director Donglin Li, Norway Embassy Second Secretary Political Lars Christie, ILO National Project Manager Saba Mohsin Raza, Senior Representative Pakistan Workers Federation Akram Bundha and senior columnist Javed Chaudhry addressed the workshop.

Action plan: Shah said the government was committed to eliminate the menace of child labour and striving hard to achieve the targets under the ILO Conventions ratified by Pakistan. He underlined the need for a coherent social action to ensure a bright future for the coming generations.

He said that child labour would be eliminate from the country while imparting education to females as educated mothers could improve the situation. He said un-elected governments in the past had not paid heed to solve the issue.

He said the government would launch technical institutions all over the country to impart technical education to the children over 10 years age.

Bukhari said the government was striving to achieve national development targets to stand on equal footings with the developed states.

He linked this issue mainly to the lack of public awareness about the importance of health and education of children in the nation building efforts.

Speaking on this occasion, Gilani urged media professionals to keep highlighting such issues so that “children could have a better environment and the society could grow up on solid footings.”

Li said child labour was a common issue in third world countries where poverty ratio was high and opportunities for employment were scarce. However, he was of the view that the child labour could be controlled gradually by improving economic conditions. He suggested a proactive role by all segments of the society in this regard. He said media could play a vital role in communicating the gravity of the situation to the stakeholders, the government and the people of Pakistan.

Christie said no country could take rapid strides towards progress unless its citizens were educated and equipped with skills.

Raza said Pakistan government-ILO partnership was going “very strong and the cooperation from Pakistan government was exemplary to help eradicate the child labour. She hoped this cooperation and commitment would continue, as child labour was a challenge to Pakistan and ILO.

Ref Daily Times