Sindh’s child labour crisis is far from over
By MNS
While new figures show a decline in child labour across Sindh, other troubling findings point to persistent exploitation, especially among poor households and adolescent girls
STATE OF THE NATION
July 5, 2025
AMONG the tragic facts that remain painfully true of Pakistani society is the sight of children — some as young as five — engaged in work meant for adults. Poor families, and increasingly even middle-income households, are compelled to push their children and womenfolk into informal jobs just to survive. While this reality often plays out in hushed corners of the informal economy, the truth is unmistakable: Pakistan continues to fail a significant segment of its next generation.
Against this backdrop, the Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022-2024 seeks to bring a rare glimmer of hope. According to the province’s Labour Director General Muhammad Ali Shah, the incidence of child labour in Sindh has declined by nearly 50 per cent when compared with the 1996 baseline. The survey, carried out by the provincial labour department with support from Unicef and the Bureau of Statistics Sindh, suggests progress is being made.
However, anecdotal evidence gathered from field workers, journalists, and civil society organisations paints a far less optimistic picture. In urban slums and rural districts alike, more children appear to be entering the informal labour force —working at tea stalls, in auto workshops, and as domestic help. Rising inflation, joblessness among adults, and the post-pandemic economic squeeze have left many families with no choice but to send their children out to earn.
In this light, a word of caution is necessary: while the survey may reflect improvements in measured or reported data, it may have understated the ground realities. What remains beyond dispute is that the other findings of the survey are as troubling as ever — and must spur urgent action.
Key findings from the Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022–2024 include:
Over 1.6 million children aged between 5 and 17 are still trapped in child labour across Sindh.
50.4pc of working children aged 10–17 are exposed to hazardous working conditions, including long hours, dangerous tools and extreme weather.
School attendance is significantly lower among working children (40.6pc) compared to non-working peers (70.5pc), with attendance falling steeply as children grow older.
Girls aged 14–17 bear a disproportionate burden of household chores, averaging 13.9 hours per week, and face higher school dropout rates.
Child labour is strongly linked to poverty, with 33.7pc of the poorest households reporting at least one child engaged in work.
Mental health concerns are stark: 20.1pc of working children report symptoms of depression — nearly double the rate among children not in labour.
There are stark district-level disparities, with child labour rates as high as 30.8pc in Qambar Shahdadkot, followed by Tharparkar (29pc), Shikarpur (20.2pc), and Tando Muhammad Khan (20.3pc). Karachi has the lowest prevalence at 2.38pc.
These figures represent real children stripped of their right to a childhood, education and a reasonable future. The fact that half of the working children are engaged in hazardous labour speaks volumes about the indifference of the system. That girls face a double burden — work outside and inside the home — is a reminder of how deeply gender inequality is entrenched.
To reduce the incidence of child labour, the provincial and federal governments must adopt a multi-pronged approach. First and foremost, social protection programmes must be expanded. Conditional cash transfers that reward school attendance can relieve pressure on poor families.
Second, education reforms are essential: flexible schooling hours, community-based schools, and bridging programmes for out-of-school children can help bring working children back into the fold. Third, strengthening labour inspections, particularly in the informal sector, is critical. Employers exploiting child labour must face penalties, while families need support rather than punishment. Fourth, targeted awareness campaigns in high-incidence districts can help shift social norms and alert families to available support.
Furthermore, district-level disparities highlight that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Resources must be channelled strategically to high-risk regions like Qambar Shahdadkot and Tharparkar. Simultaneously, mental health services for working children must be integrated into any future rehabilitation programmes.
In the end, child labour is more than a development issue — it is a moral failing. Every child sent to work instead of school is a casualty of our collective apathy. Behind every figure in the survey is a childhood interrupted, a dream deferred, and a society diminished.
If we are to truly build a more equitable and humane Pakistan, ending child labour must not remain a distant goal — it must become an immediate, non-negotiable priority.