As we celebrate Universal Children’s Day 2024 under the theme of “For Every Child, Every Right,̶1; it becomes imperative to contemplate the condition of children’s rights in Pakistan. While the world celebrates this day to highlight the very basic rights to which every child is entitled, in Pakistan, millions of children persistently face various challenges that deprive them of their very basic rights, that are access to education, protection from child labor, clean sanitation, and the right to lead life free from exploitation.
The situation is especially dire when we talk about education. The country is facing a severe challenge, since nearly 28 million children out of school mean an unacceptably high rate of educational exclusion by international standards. Beyond the number’s simplicity lies a lost generation barred from access to the basic means of escaping poverty and building a better future. The causes are multi-faceted – poverty, social inequality, and infrastructural inadequacies, to name a few. As a result, many rural children do not have all the resources needed to take an education seriously. Schools exist in many areas, but they lack basic accompaniments such as qualified teachers and outdated curriculum.
The lack of educational facilities creates a debilitating vicious circle, thereby forcing many children into work in order to contribute towards their families. Child labor remains an ominous issue in Pakistan, where millions of children work under dangerous conditions, from brick kilns to factories and even domestic work. These children lose out not only on education but also suffer physical and mental damage. Despite legislation aimed at curbing child labor, enforcement remains weak, and many children continue to work in exploitative conditions because their families struggle to make ends meet.
Besides the problems of education and child labor, a high percentage of children in Pakistan do not have proper sanitation facilities. This has far-reaching consequences for children’s health and well-being. In rural and inadequately served urban areas, children are exposed to unhealthy conditions, thereby causing such preventable diseases and also leads to malnutrition, which in turn hinders children’s ability to learn and grow. The theme of Universal Children’s Day 2024 challenges the governments, civil society, and international organizations to take bold moves in the effort to meet these challenges. For Pakistan, it calls for the strict implementation of the Article 25-A which guarantees free and compulsory education for children between the ages of five to sixteen, improved sanitation access, child labor elimination, and cessation of all forms of exploitation of children. It also requires education financing through increased public expenditure, infrastructural development, and as surety in ensuring quality learning for all children and from all walks of life.
These issues should be tackled by the initiation of broader policy reforms that focus on the root causes of poverty and inequality. Families affected by poverty must be supported through social safeguards, and campaigns for increased awareness are needed to change societal attitudes that often endorse child labor. Education must be made free and accessible to all, including mainly the villages and other marginalized communities. Schools should be provided with basic infrastructures and also teachers should be qualified to ensure that children get quality education that empowers them to participate in future activities. On this Universal Children’s Day, it is critical to recognize that each child has an inalienable right to a life free from exploitation, in which they have the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive. For every child in Pakistan, it is our responsibility to strive to ensure that their rights are being protected not only today but every day. Today is the day for urgent action to ensure that all children are given the future they deserve-a future full of hope, opportunity, and dignity.
The writer is Program Manager, Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, SPARC, Islamabad.
