Speakers at a two-day training workshop disclosed that forced labour, a crime under Pakistani law and a grave violation of human rights according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), continued to plague approximately 3.4 million individuals in Pakistan, making more than 10 per cent of the global total of 28 million victims.
Particularly concerning is the vulnerability of migrant workers, who are three times more likely to fall into forced labour compared to non-migrants, added the speakers. The event, organised by the ILO, in collaboration with the US Department of Labour (USDOL), at a local hotel under the auspices of the BRIDGE project an initiative aimed at eradicating forced labour and promoting equitable labour practices’ focused on equipping journalists with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively report on forced labour and fair recruitment issues.
According to experts, with over 6.5 million Pakistanis seeking employment abroad through legal channels in the last decade, predominantly in Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the issue demands urgent attention. A diverse cohort of 35 journalists representing various media platforms’ print, electronic, radio, and digital participated in the workshop. Dr. Faisal Iqbal, the national project coordinator at ILO, emphasised the pivotal role of media in raising public awareness regarding forced labour and advocating for fair recruitment practices. “Media can be key influencers in shaping public perceptions about forced labour and labour migration,” Dr. Iqbal remarked, expressing concern over the prevalence of forced labour in Pakistan affecting an estimated 3.4 million individuals.
