Child Labour in International Perspective - English Essay

Child Labour in International Perspective

English Essay on "Child Labour in International Perspective" - Compositions on "Child Labour in International Perspective"

The issue of child labour has taken the shape of a global challenge today as no region of the world is completely free of this phenomenon. Though mostly prevalent in the development regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, child labour also exists in rich industrialised countries. According to ILO estimates, more than 73 million children in the age group, 10 to 14 years, alone, were economically active around the world in 1995. Although authentic figures are difficult to get, available information reveals that certain counties like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Italy and Portugal have comparatively higher rates of economic activity amongst children. These children are working generally in seasonal job activities, street trades, small workshops or in a home setting, as well as in agricultural farms. Pakistan in this global scenario is not an exception. As the entire world is voicing concern against this issue with increased momentum, its eradication ca]l for an integrated and co-ordinate action., As such, there is a dire necessity to create internationally an environment that should serve as a helpful pressure though co-operative relationship between industrialized countries and the developing nations by means of financial assistance for the uplift of the poor societies and combating the problems like high population growth, illiteracy, economic recessions and unemployment, etc., instead of developing a climate to aggravate these problems.

In 1992, the ILO launched a major programme known as PIEC (the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour). Beginning in six countries (Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Thailand and Turkey, it has expanded to 11 in 1994 (Bangladesh, Nepal Pakistan, philippines and Taazania) and preparatory activities got underway in Cameroon, Colombia and Egypt. Funding for IPEC (from government sources) has raised from roughly US $24 million in 1996-97. Many donor countries have expressed interest in participating in this programme. educationsight.blogspot.com The bulk of the funding is spent on action programmes which concentrates, first, on the eradication of the most hazardous and exploitative form of child labour and, secondly on the progressive elimination of child labour by strengthening national capacities for addressing the problems.

Child labour, in Pakistan, exists mostly in the informal sector of employment including family business, domestic service, home-based industries, shops small establishments etc. The causes are multiple and related mostly to compulsions of poverty, economic deprivation, historically established employment relation, growth of informal sector of economy, family business, insufficient schooling facility, resource constraints, population growth and propensity in poor families for work over education. Initially, no authentic estimates on the magnitude and nature of child labour were available which led to the flashing out of exaggerated guestimates by certain agencies, presenting a distorted picture of the issue. Consequently, the Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with ILO, commissioned a survey to Federal Bureau of Statistics to measure the size of the problem. The results of the survey have been made pubic which reveal that about 3.3 million children aged 5 to 14 years are economically active in Pakistan. Out of this number, 67 per cent are engaged in agricultural sector, 11 per cent in manufacturing, nine per cent in whole sale and retail trade and eight per cent in social and personal services.

Bonded labour, on the other hand, is difficult to quantify because of its invisibility. Its existence as debt-bondage in the brick kiln industry was well-known. Bi as a result of a judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1988, the system of debt bondage was abolished. The legislation enacted subsequently extinguished all outstanding loans taken by families or workers employed in any industry. It is now generally known as non-existent. Human Rights activists, including Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, are functioning watchfully to unearth the hidden bonded labour cases. The generally view is that it exists as an historical reality in the form of centuries old landlord and tenant relationship in the agriculture sector. However, with the spread of education of awareness of masses about their rights, this system is gradually breaking.

International propaganda against Pakistan on the issue of child and bonded labour started with filing, before USTR, of two petitions, one by AFL-CIO and the other by International Labour Rights and Research Fund with the intention to adversely affect Pakistan’s GSP benefits and tarnish its image in the comity of nations. Though Pakistan effectively defended its position on the basis of ground realities, its GSP benefits were suspended for not meeting the American’s criteria. These petitions were subsequently followed by a petition filed by ICFTU before the European Commission bonded labour. This generated lot of adverse propaganda against Pakistan and stories started appearing in the international media to blow up the issue out of proportion. A recent development that has taken place in America is the “foul-ball campaign” launched against Pakistan by a US Congressman, Joe Kennedy, on June 28, 1996. This campaign was supported by the Labour Secretary, Robert Reich. The foreign media started highlighting the alleged incidence of child labour in carpet industry and now this campaign is being extended to sports goods and surgical instruments industry. The campaign has also shown indication to further threaten garment industry also.

The bias so widely expressed by the international media was intensified by the murder of a Christian boy of Muridke, Iqbal Masih. The Western media used it as a strong base to malign Pakistan as a country of high incidence of bonded labour. Pakistan which is still passing through a transitional period of socio-economic evaluation has set out high ideals and national objectives aimed at development of all its streams of human activity. Its initiative in 1992 to enact the law to abolish centuries old bonded labour system is in itself a progressive step considering its acute poverty conditions and low literacy rate, with scarce financial resources. Despite all constraints and pressures on its economy, Pakistan’s efforts in the development of social legislation, undoubtedly, are designed to achieve national goals based on democratic and progressive approach.

The Government of Pakistan is cognizant of the child labour problem and is committed to combat it through programmes designed to implement laws, coupled with measures to rehabilitate the working children after their withdrawal from the places of employment. The government’s response in this regard is evident from a number of strategic measures taken by it in pursuance of its pro-active child labour policy.

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