Sindh’s Children Burdened By Labor

Without addressing the economic roots and institutional gaps, child labor cannot be eradicated through legislation alone

Ali Nawaz Rahimoo

Child labor remains one of Pakistan’s most pressing moral and economic dilemmas a crisis that exposes the country’s deep inequalities in income, education, and social protection. While the issue has long existed in the shadows, Sindh has now taken a crucial step toward confronting it through the Sindh Child Labor Survey (SCLS) 2023–2024 a landmark collaboration between the Sindh Bureau of Statistics (BoS), the Planning and Development Department, the Labor and Human Resource Department, and UNICEF. For the first time, Sindh has an evidence-based, province-wide picture of how children live, learn, and work. The findings are sobering and they compel action.

A Landmark in Data and Accountability

The SCLS covered 56,967 households across 29 districts, representing children aged 5–17 years in both rural and urban settings. It found that 10.3 per cent of Sindh’s children are engaged in labor  a figure that reflects thousands of young lives trapped between poverty and lost opportunity. The survey also provides the first district-wise breakdown of child labor prevalence. The results reveal a stark divide between Sindh’s rural and urban regions.

Highest prevalence: Sujawal (35.1%), Tharparkar (25.6%), and Umerkot (25.5%) districts where chronic poverty, drought, and scarce schools push children into work.

Moderate prevalence: Thatta (19.8%), Badin (20.8%), Mirpurkhas (18.3%), and Jacobabad (17.5%) still alarming but less extreme.

Lowest prevalence: Malir (2.7%), Karachi South (3.0%), and Karachi East (3.1%) where better infrastructure and livelihoods reduce dependency on child labor.

Map highlights a clear pattern

Child labor is concentrated in Sindh’s southern and eastern rural belts, while Karachi’s urban districts show comparatively lower rates. The geography of exploitation mirrors the geography of poverty. Roots of Exploitation Child labor in Pakistan, including Sindh, arises from a web of interlinked economic and social pressures. Poverty and economic necessity remain the primary drivers. With nearly 40 per cent of Pakistan’s population living below the poverty line, many households rely on their children’s earnings just to survive. Educational deprivation is another factor. Inadequate schools, poor quality teaching, and high dropout rates leave children with few alternatives to work. Rural areas where schools may be miles away are especially vulnerable. Cultural norms also play a role. In many communities, child labor is seen as part of growing up. Boys are expected to help earn income, while girls are confined to unpaid domestic work.  Weak law enforcement allows the practice to continue. Labor inspections are infrequent, penalties for violations are rare, and coordination between agencies remains weak.

Lastly, Pakistan’s large informal economy from agriculture to workshops to home-based manufacturing keeps millions of workers, including children, outside the protection of labor laws.

Law on Paper, Gaps in Practice Pakistan’s legal framework against child labor is extensive and aligned with international conventions, but implementation remains inconsistent.

Article 11(3) of the Constitution prohibits the employment of children under 14 in factories or hazardous occupations.

The Employment of Children Act (1991) and Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act (2017) restrict child employment and regulate adolescent work.

The Sindh Child Protection Authority Act (2011) sets up mechanisms for rescue, welfare, and rehabilitation.

Pakistan has ratified ILO Conventions 138 and 182, committing to abolish child labor in all forms.

Despite this strong legal base, child labor continues largely unchecked, especially in informal sectors where oversight is minimal. The gulf between law and practice remains one of Pakistan’s greatest governance failures.

Institutions and Implementation Challenges The fight against child labor involves multiple actors:

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development formulates the national labor policy.

Provincial Labor Departments are responsible for enforcement.

The Sindh Child Protection Authority (SCPA) works on rescue and rehabilitation.

Civil society and NGOs support awareness, education, and reintegration.

However, these efforts are fragmented and underfunded. Labor inspections are often symbolic, child protection units lack staff and budgets, and data-driven policy is rare. Without sustained coordination, child labor remains a “shared problem” with no single owner.

Historical Context: Where It All Began

Child labor as a global issue dates back to the Industrial Revolution in 18th-century Britain, when children were employed in factories, mines, and textile mills for long hours and little pay. As industrialization spread across Europe and North America, child exploitation became widespread, sparking moral outrage and reform movements.  The creation of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1919 marked a turning point, establishing child protection as a core principle of labor rights. Yet, more than a century later, the ILO estimates that 160 million children worldwide are still in child labor the majority in developing regions of Africa and Asia. Pakistan, with millions of working children, remains part of this global challenge.

Bridging the Gaps: What Must Be Done?

The Sindh Child Labor Survey provides not just data, but direction. To turn evidence into action, the following steps are critical:

Strengthen Enforcement: Conduct regular inspections, ensure penalties, and empower local authorities to act swiftly against violators.

Invest in Education: Build and staff quality schools, especially in high-prevalence districts, and expand non-formal education for out-of-school children.

Enhance Social Protection: Introduce cash transfers and livelihood support for poor families to reduce reliance on child income.

Community Awareness: Launch campaigns to challenge cultural acceptance of child labor and highlight its long-term harm.

Institutionalize Data Collection: Repeat provincial surveys every few years to track progress and inform policy.

Without addressing the economic roots and institutional gaps, child labor cannot be eradicated through legislation alone.  A Call to Conscience the SCLS 2023–2024 is not just a survey it is a mirror reflecting our collective failure to protect the most vulnerable. Each percentage point represents thousands of children whose dreams have been deferred by circumstance. Sindh has taken the first crucial step by documenting the problem. The next step is to act decisively to turn numbers into narratives of change and to ensure that no child’s childhood is spent in labor. Because the true measure of progress is not GDP growth or infrastructure, but whether every child can go to school instead of work.

Read: Education in Pakistan: Inequality Rebranded

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Ali Nawaz Rahimoo, based in Umerkot, Sindh is a social development professional. He can be contacted on anrahimoo@gmail.com