World

May Day being observed today in Pakistan

by rumana husain | April 30, 2009 at 09:14 pm

459 views | 66 Recommendations | 7 comments

Today is World Labour Day and it is a public holiday in Pakistan. However, oblivious of May Day, there are labourers who will be working today from morning to dusk, including little children who have to earn their livelihoods. They are not even aware of any written or unwritten law which provides them protection...at least on paper. Their will be rallies, seminars, television shows, but year after year little has happened to seriously implement and improve conditions or to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, be it military governments or democratic ones.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989. The scope of this convention that Pakistan ratified in 1990 extends to persons up to the age of 18.

Article 32 of CRC reads, “State Parties recognise the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development”.

Despite the presence of so many laws, the issue of child labour is still a major issue, which needs to be tackled on immediate basis. While almost everyone agrees that child labour cannot be overlooked, the issue is complex. The cycle of poverty and its implications must be addressed properly, so that families can find other means to survive.

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Former Editor (not verified)

at 22:13 on April 30th, 2009

Thanks so much for this perspective on May 1st. It is honored by many for various reasons throughout the world. Great job!

Amitjha

at 03:08 on May 1st, 2009

Thanks for bringing in good story from pakistan, unless all news come with blood from there.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 03:14 on May 1st, 2009

Excellent story, thank you

rumana husain

at 04:14 on May 1st, 2009

:-) thanks former editor (not verified), amitjha and albertacowpoke.

Merry Rebel

at 11:28 on May 1st, 2009

The words you said speak the facts, be it Military governments or be it Civil ones, all care about the rich, no one care's about the poor, all care about passing bills, no one cares about their implementation.

By the way, excellent post, all 5 stars!

Babel-Fish

at 18:28 on May 1st, 2009

Child labor is a very big problem through out the third world, yes there are laws against it, but it goes on especially where poverty rises it ugly head. Living in the Philippines such sadness is not missed by the old, world traveller.

However my own partner would not of achieved a high school graduation had she not worked her self wilst she was a child. She had pulled her self and later helped her sisters and brother and family out of poverty working and sending money home and investing in the family small farm.

There is you see sometimes more behind the total story than is seen some families in poverty see the need in all the family being involved in some form of earning. If they did not it would be a lot harder to survive but food on the table and at least get one or two kids through high school. In turn the kids when adults look after the parents and younger siblings. The main problem of course is the lack of birth control. Two parents with two kids is a much better option than two parents with 7 or 8 or more kids. The money has to come from somewhere to feed the many mouths.

rumana husain

at 00:46 on May 2nd, 2009

thank you for your comment babel-fish. yes, you are right about the single perpetrator of child labour: poverty. but the convoluted logic for the poor behind having more children is not that there are more mouths to be fed but that there are more hands to work!