Poverty as a Driving Factor for Child Labour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

This research paper deals with the study and analysis of poverty as the main factor for the prevalence of child labour in Pakistan and specifically Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This study will discuss the issues that play a detrimental role in the non-observance of these laws. In this paper, we will try to look into the factors that are responsible for the non-observance of these laws and how we will eradicate these factors in order to safeguard the children of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from child labour. Child labour is not a new phenomenon and it can be traced back in history but with the advent of the industrial revolution, it became a major problem that needs an immediate solution. The civilized world under the banner of the United Nations has formulated many laws and conventions but the desired results are yet to be achieved in many parts of the world. According to the survey of the International Labour Organization in September 2013, around 168 million children were working as child laborers around the globe. The main cause of child labour in Pakistan is poverty and a lack of mechanisms to enforce child labour laws effectively. In this study, we will analyse the ground reality of child labour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, pinpoint the main factors responsible for child labour and suggest measures to implement the child labour laws in letter and spirit.