Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. Child labour can also be defined as the full-time employment of children who are under a minimum legal age.

In developing countries, with high poverty and poor schooling opportunities, child labour is still prevalent. In 2010, sub-saharan Africa had the highest incidence rates of child labour, with several African nations witnessing over 50 percent of children aged 5–17 working. Worldwide agriculture is the largest employer of child labour.

History
Although children had been servants and apprentices throughout most of human history, child labor reached new extremes during the Industrial Revolution. (The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes that occurred in the period from about 1760 to some time between 1820 and 1840). Children were useful as laborers because their size allowed them to move in small spaces in factories or mines where adults couldn't fit, children were easier to manage and control and perhaps most importantly, children could be paid less than adults.

CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR
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Poverty
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Parental illiteracy
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Tradition of making children learn the family skills
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Absence of universal compulsory Primary education
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Social apathy and tolerance of child labour
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Ignorance of the parents about the adverse consequences of Child labour
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Ineffective enforcement of the legal provisions pertaining to child labour
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Non-availability of and non-accessibility to schools
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Irrelevant and non-attractive school curriculum
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Employers prefer children as they constitute cheap labour and they are not able to organize themselves against exploitation.

CHILD LABOUR LAW
Child labor law, enacted by the Federal Government, restricts when children can work and what jobs they can do. Teens hired for nonagricultural employment (which is just about everything other than farm work) must be at least fourteen. Other child labor law restrictions, regulating the type of positions young workers can hold and the type of work they can do are also in effect.

JOBS EXEMPT FROM CHILD LABOR LAW REGULATIONS
In general, children of any age are permitted to work for businesses entirely owned by their parents, except those under 16 may not be employed in mining or manufacturing and no one under 18 may be employed in any occupation the Secretary of Labor has declared to be hazardous.

ELIMINATING CHILD LABOUR
Concerns have often been raised over the buying public's moral complicity in purchasing products assembled or otherwise manufactured in developing countries with child labour. However, others have raised concerns that boycotting products manufactured through child labour may force these children to turn to more dangerous or strenuous professions. For example, a UNICEF study found that after the Child Labour Deterrence Act was introduced in the US, an estimated 50,000 children were dismissed from their garment industry jobs in Bangladesh, leaving many to resort to jobs such as "stone-crushing, street hustling etc, jobs that are "more hazardous and exploitative than garment production". The study suggests that boycotts are "blunt instruments with long-term consequences, that can actually harm rather than help the children involved.
The International Labour Organisation’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), founded in 1992, aims to eliminate child labour. It operates in 88 countries and is the largest program of its kind in the world.[120] IPEC works with international and government agencies, NGOs, the media, and children and their families to end child labour and provide children with education and assistance

CHILD LABOUR IN PAKISTAN
Child labour in Pakistan is the employment of children for work in Pakistan, leading to mental, physical, moral and social harm to children. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated in the 1990s that 11 million children were working in the country, half of those under the age of ten. In 1996, the median age for a child entering the work force was seven, down from eight years old 2 years prior. It was estimated that one quarter of the country’s work force was made up of child laborers.

HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE?
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‘BE’ a responsible citizen and ensure you do not employ child labour.
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‘ACT’ as a responsible citizen and ensure that your society does not employ child labour.
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‘EDUCATE’ and create awareness amongst people employing child labourers and the parents sending their children to work.
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Further, ‘REPORT’ cases of child labour.
CCONSEQUENCES OF CHILD LABOUR

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Stunted growth of future generation
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Inability to harness human resources
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Inability to contribute to development
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Inability to benefit from development
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Citizens with accumulated frustration
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Adult unemployment
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Depreciation in wages
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Perpetuation of poverty
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Persistence of child labour
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Perpetuation of economic inequality
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Increased abuse of children
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Increased illiteracy
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Ignorant populace
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Citizens with inferiority complex
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Malnourished citizens
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Sick citizens
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Political instability
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Early morbidity of citizens
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Mental deformity of citizens
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Perpetuation of ill treatment
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Inter generational phenomenon of child labour
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Increased bottlenecks in the development process
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Wasted human resources
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Wasted human talents and skills
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Scientists, artists and persons of eminence lost to child labour



REDUCE CHILD LABOUR AND BUILD A BETTER WORLD.