Over 3.3m kids engaged in child labour
A high-level stakeholders’ consultation on the development of a Child Protection Prevention Framework (CPPF) was held at the Child Protection Institute, organized jointly by Save the Children and UNICEF.
The consultation brought together representatives from prominent civil society organizations, NADRA, the legal community, and service delivery organizations, emphasizing the urgent need for a collaborative approach to prevent violence against children in any form.
The session was conducted by David Bloomer Regional Adviser at Save the Children, and child rights expert RabeeaHadi. Director of the Child Protection Institute, Yousaf Shah gave welcome remarks to formally open the day-long discussion. It was shared that the consultation was first of the series of consultations to be held across the country before finalizing the Child Protection Prevention Framework.
Following that, the consultation facilitators gave an overview of the current situation and existing protection mechanism. It was shared that over 3.3 million children aged 5-14 in Pakistan are engaged in child labour, often in hazardous conditions. Child marriage remains prevalent, with 18pc of girls married before the age of 18 and 4pc before 15. Physical and psychological punishment continues to be a widespread issue, with more than 80pc of children in Punjab, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan experiencing violent discipline, according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014.
While Pakistan has existing child protection laws, enforcement remains weak, and there is a lack of standardized prevention mechanisms across the country at both federal and provincial level. Current responses are often reactive, focusing on victim support rather than prevention.
