PESHAWAR: More than 734,000 children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are engaged in child labour with over half reporting illness or workplace injuries, according to a report highlighting the scale of child exploitation in the province.
The report found that a total of 734,960 boys and girls are involved in labour across the province. Of these, 57.6 percent have either suffered serious illness or experienced accidents while working.
The findings reveal that there are 221,394 girls who are in child labour. It comprises 89,938 girls of the age group five to 11, 43,635 of the age group 12 to 13, and 87,821 of the age group 14 to 17.
In case of boys, the total number involved in child labour is 513,558, which consists of 234,770 boys of the age group five to 11, 144,831 boys of the age group 12 to 13, and 103,615 of the age group 14 to 17.
It is noteworthy that millions of children ranging in age from five to 17 are compelled to work instead of going to school and thousands of teenagers are also engaged in hazardous occupations.
It was found that poverty and economic struggles as well as lack of educational opportunities were the main causes of child labor. In the report, it was observed that the rate of child labor is much higher in rural communities than in urban communities.
The researchers stated that inadequate access to education, health care, and other basic necessities still leads to child labor.
Child rights experts have emphasized on the need for proper laws and implementation strategies in order to stop child labor and ensuring that all the children receive education and protection.
They stressed that immediate action is needed to address the underlying socio-economic factors contributing to child labour and to safeguard the rights and well-being of children across the province.
