Karachi:
A study conducted after 28 years has revealed alarming data, which over 1.6 million children aged 10 to 17 are involved in different forms of labor, many in dangerous and exploitative environments across Sindh.
Sindh Child Labor Survey 2022-2024, performed by Sindh Labor Department with technical assistance from UNICEF and Bureau of Statistics Sindh, revealed that 50.4 percent of working children between the ages of 10 and 17 are exposed to dangerous conditions, including excessive working hours, extreme weather and insecure tools and machines.
Director General Labor, Muhammad Ali Shah, who led the project, said the report has been submitted to the provincial government for action. He mentioned a significant decrease in child labor compared to the national baseline of 1996 – almost 50 percent lower – but emphasized that the number is still deep.
According to the conclusions, school participation among working children is only 40.6 percent as opposed to 70.5 percent among non-working children. Educational participation decreases markedly with age, especially among girls aged 14 to 17, who also shoulder most of household tasks – an average of 13.9 hours of unpaid housework per week. This contributes strongly to the waiver of school.
Data at district level shows major differences. Qambar Shahdadkot tops the list with a child labor of 30.8 percent, followed by Tharparkar to 29 percent, Tando Muhammad Khan to 20.3 percent and Shikarpur of 20.2 percent. Karachi has the lowest rate of only 2.38 percent.
The report also draws a strong connection between poverty and child labor. In the poorest households, 33.7 percent reported to have at least one child engaged in work.
