Prevalence of Child Labor in Pakistan: Unveiling The Dimensions of Child Abuse

Abstract

The problem of child labor has been a socio-economic and human right concern in Pakistan and especially in Sindh and Punjab despite the legislation change and global obligations. This paper studies the prevalence, sectoral distribution and multidimensional effects of child labor and recommends policy relevant interventions. The secondary data research design was used with the use of the data on the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Labor Force Survey (2021), International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and the peer-reviewed literature. A comparative and thematic analysis approach was used to combine evidence throughout the sources. Results show that the highest number of working children is in the agricultural sector; others that have a high number of working children include services and industrial sectors including the brick kilns industry, mining and textile industries. Children are introduced to dangerous working environments such as exposure to toxic substances, heavy labor as well as dangerous environments. Such exposures lead to the loss of serious physical, psychological and developmental effects, such as respiratory disease, musculoskeletal conditions, chronic stress and education deficiency. The paper concludes that the problem of child labor in Pakistan is not only an economic survival strategy but a developmental structural crisis associated with poverty, institutional-level enforcement and without access to education. Mitigation demands specific policy actions, such as poverty reduction, enhanced labor oversight, increased access to education and integrated systems of child protection.