UNITED NATIONS: About 3.4 million children in Pakistan are trapped in child labour, condemning them to a life of poverty and want, says a UN report released on the World Day Against Child Labour.

A UN report on the world day, June 12, shows that 160 million children are trapped in child labour worldwide. Recent conflicts, crises, and the Covid-19 pandemic, have undermined the progress made since 2000, and have forced millions more children into child labour.

Child labour also remains prevalent in Pakistan and cuts across sectors but is especially widespread in the rural economy. Agriculture absorbs the highest percentage of children in employment in every South Asian country, including Pakistan.

Africa ranks highest among regions both in the percentage of children in child labour — one-fifth — and the absolute number of children in child labour — 72 million. Asia and the Pacific ranks second highest in both these measures — 7 percent of all children and 62 million in absolute terms are in child labour in this region.

In Pakistan, children are vulnerable to many forms of violence and exploitation, including economic exploitation and child trafficking. Birth registration is a legal proof of a child’s age but in Pakistan, only 34 per cent of children under five are registered at birth nationally.

Another UN report shows that there are 16.7 million (5–17-year-old) children in child labour in South Asia, and of these 10.3 million are in the 5–14-year age range. The young, 5–11-year-old children, make up about one-fifth of all child labourers in South Asia. Substantial variation in child labour estimates exists across the South Asian countries. In absolute terms, child labour for the 5-17 years age range is highest in India (5.8 million), followed by Bangladesh (5.0 million), Pakistan (3.4 million) and Nepal (2.0 million). In relative terms, children in Nepal face the highest risk of being in child labour than elsewhere in South Asia, with over one-quarter (26 per cent) of all 5–17-year-old engaged in child labour.

A substantial share of employment of 15-17 years old is hazardous in nature – 75 per cent in Bangladesh, 72pc in Sri Lanka, 41pc in Pakistan, 30pc in Nepal, 20pc in India and 6pc in Bhutan.

Family labour accounts for a significant percentage of employment, declining as children get older. A majority of working 7-14 years old in Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and 10 -14 years old in Pakistan are engaged in family work. Girls continue to lag behind boys in school attendance in many South Asian countries. In Pakis­tan, school attendance for 10-17 years old girls is almost 15pc below boys of the same age. Four South Asian countries have the highest gender disparities globally.

Pakistan (82:100) and Afghanistan (71:100) have high disparities at the expense of girls; Bangladesh (94 boys: 100 girls), Nepal (92:100) have high disparities at the expense of boys. Rural children in most South Asian countries face greater challenges than urban children.

In Bhutan and Nepal, 7-17 years old children living in rural areas are more than twice as likely to be employed. In Bhutan, India and Nepal, the school attendance rate for rural children is more than 4pc below urban children, and in every country reporting data besides Sri Lanka, rural children are more likely to be inactive – missing in education and employment statistics.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2023