“Child labour is a crime against humanity. It’s a shame that I still have to fight against it in the 21st Century.”
THIS quote by renowned Social Reformer, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Kailash Satyarthi, has two keywords which need to be remembered to understand the seriousness of child domestic labour: ‘Crime and ‘Shame’. Child domestic labour refers to the employment of children in private households, where they perform household chores, often in exploitative and hazardous conditions. These children are typically deprived of education, face physical and emotional abuse and are vulnerable to various forms of exploitation.
International Labour Organization (ILO) defines Child Domestic Labour (CDL) as worst form of labour and modern-day slavery. Such an extreme description has been used because when things are ‘fine’, the young labourers don’t have any time for education and recreation due to long working hours. And when things go south, there’s violence, sexual abuse and often loss of life.
Pakistan has collaborated with international organizations, foreign governments and local activists to address child domestic labour and improve the welfare of children. Pakistan has committed to safeguarding the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. This includes provisions to protect children from economic exploitation and hazardous work. Locally, Pakistan has enacted legislation to eradicate forced labour, end modern-day slavery and human trafficking as well as to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child Labour.
However, despite these efforts, the eradication of child domestic labour remains a complex and challenging task. The problem is deeply rooted in socio-economic factors and cultural norms, making it essential to implement comprehensive and sustained efforts to protect children from exploitation and ensure their access to education and a safe environment.
This brings us to the second keyword i.e. ‘Shame’. According to a 2022 study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the Asia Regional Child Labour (ARC) Project, one in every four households in Pakistan employs a child domestic worker mainly girls of the age 10 to 14 years. What’s worse that majority of these employers belong to the upper/richer spectrum of the society and that’s where the things get ugly.
Child Domestic Labour is being regarded as normalized because the elite of the society have propagated themselves as saviors. They label the act of employing a child as a form of supporting a needy family. They provide additional perks such as festival bonuses, clothes and ration etc. None of this is an excuse to physically or mentally abuse a child, however, these give the parents a false sense of security that no violence can occur at such a ‘caring’ family. Domestic workers work around the children of their employers who are of same age and see them living a luxurious life (compared to themselves). This also creates depression and violent tendencies among the young workers.
Pakistan has seen repeated cases of brutal violence against child domestic workers in last the few years. In some cases the culprits belonged to the professions which are meant to protect these children from the violence. But majority of the culprits get away easily. Why? Because households are difficult to monitor because of the social norms related to household sanctity. The employers belonging to the elite class also restricts the law enforcement officials from taking any action. Parents also restrict children from reporting the violence as they fear loss of work.
The year 2023 is election in Pakistan, while we are focusing on the present, we need to look at the future as well. If Pakistan is serious about ending this vicious cycle of crime and the shame it brings, then the elite will have to play their part. From implementation of the laws such as Islamabad Capital Territory Domestic Workers Act 2022, to basic decency of not employing children – those in power will have to act responsibly and be accountable for their actions.
—The writer is Programme Manager, Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, SPARC, Islamabad.
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