By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: On World Social Justice Day 2025, Search for Justice, a child-focused civil society organization, reaffirms that the fight against child labour is inseparable from the broader struggle for social justice.
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Search for Justice calls on the government, civil society organizations, and all stakeholders to take urgent action to eliminate child labour by addressing its root causes. Until economic disparities are reduced, education is accessible for all, and labour laws are strictly enforced, a child labour-free society will remain an unfulfilled vision Iftikhar Mubarik, Executive Director of Search for Justice, emphasized that despite existing legal frameworks, the Punjab Child Labour Survey Report 2019-20 indicates that child labour among children aged 5-14 is 13.4%, while the prevalence of child labour and hazardous adolescent work among those aged 5-17 is 16.9%. He highlighted that child labour in domestic work remains a critical challenge due to its private nature, making it difficult for labour inspectors to monitor workplaces. Additionally, he pointed out that agricultural labourers are still not recognized as workers under the current legal framework, preventing them from accessing welfare programs and support schemes. The absence of strict monitoring mechanisms and weak enforcement of child labour laws leaves these children unprotected.
Ensuring economic justice, fair wages, and stronger social protection policies is essential to ending child labour.
Rashida Qureshi, Focal Person of the Children Advocacy Network – CAN Pakistan, emphasized that fair wages and social security protections for workers are essential to eradicating child labour. She highlighted that despite the enactment of the Punjab Domestic Workers Act (2019), not a single case has been registered against employers violating Section 3, which prohibits employing children under the age of 15 as domestic workers. Citing a recent case of a 13-year-old girl who was reportedly tortured and murdered by her employers, she urged the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to take decisive and systematic action to prevent further violations and ensure justice for child labour victims.
Saba Sheikh, Program Coordinator at Search for Justice, while discussing possible solutions to tackle child labour, emphasized that women’s economic empowerment is key to breaking the cycle of child labour and must be a priority for government departments. Strengthening vocational training, expanding microfinance opportunities, and enhancing social protection programs will enable women to achieve financial independence, reducing reliance on child labour as a survival strategy. She urged the Punjab Government to launch sustained awareness campaigns to educate the public about legal prohibitions on child labour and to ensure stricter enforcement mechanisms.
Abeeha Batool, a 16-year-old member of the Children Forum, emphasized that education is the most powerful tool to eliminate child labour. Addressing barriers such as poverty, lack of school infrastructure, challenges in accessing schools for adolescent girls, and social inequalities is crucial to keeping children in school rather than forcing them into labour. She urged the government to strengthen education policies in line with Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan and provincial education laws, expand scholarship programs, and increase financial support for families to ensure every child has access to quality education and protection from exploitation.
Abeeha further highlighted that parents must be sensitized about the importance of education, as they are the primary decision-makers in determining whether a child attends school or is pushed into labour.
