perspective- child protection - Page 5

Juvenile Offenders in Punjab

The total number of convicted and undertrial juveniles imprisoned in various borstal institutes and jails of Punjab province was 645 as on 15 March 2022 (Prisons Department, Govt. of Punjab). Out of the total number of juvenile offenders, 81% (523) juveniles were on trial (under trial) and 19% were convicted juvenile offenders. All juvenile offenders were male and no female…

Permitted age for employment of children as domestic workers

Do you know what the minimum age is for children in the different provinces of Pakistan to be employed as domestic workers? Child labour is a provincial subject in Pakistan after the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010. The 18th Constitutional Amendment devolved the issue of labour and employment to the…

Missing Priya Kumari

The disturbing case of missing seven-year-old Priya Kumari has sparked a wave…

Child Marriages – A Vicious Cycle of Poverty and Abuse

KARACHI: Despite being illegal, child marriages continue to affect millions of young…

The Unfortunate Trend Of Child Marriage

Child Marriage, one of the unfortunate and rampant trends, takes place in several parts of the country despite being prohibited under the relevant laws. Child marriage is a serious violation of children’s rights, something that ensures gender inequality. Young girls, in particular, are denied to enjoy their rights to education…

Child Marriage Plagues Minor Girls

The rocky years of adolescence are rarely a smooth sail for budding adults, with sudden physical, emotional, and psychological changes taking a huge toll on their overall wellbeing. While an awkward pimple or emotional breakdown might exhaust an average teenager coping with the upsetting effects of puberty, for minor girls…

A Silent Epidemic: Child Sexual Abuse in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Thirteen-year-old Asim* was quieter than usual when he returned to his home in Jhelum from a motorcycle mechanic’s workshop after completing his first day as a chotu – a term widely used for apprentices. His father, a rickshaw driver, noticed but casually asked about his day at his new workplace…

Little Ones at Work

It is deeply unfortunate that millions of Pakistani children endure poverty and are forced into labor, a harsh reality that has persisted for years. These children work in factories due to dire economic conditions, often in extreme heat without basic rights like food or education. Imagine a child carrying heavy…

Minors for sale

THE curse of human trade has a doubly odious form child trafficking. Pakistan, too, is haunted by this ugly reality: its minors, boys and girls, have often been treated as commodities in this repellant business. It is in this context that the recent arrest of rights activist Sarim Burney on…

TheCase for Revitalizing Remand Homes in Sindh

ON a cold morning in 1937, a remand home was inaugurated in Karachi under the Bombay Children Act, 1924. This remand home was later shifted to near Central Jail in Karachi, and is now functioning in accordance with the Sindh Children Act, 1955, and the Sindh Remand Homes Rules, 2011.…

Child-friendly courts

IN a country where the child rights debate has been a belated one, it is heartening to note that a recent Supreme Court judgement calls for the state to establish child-friendly courts with specially trained judges. The apex court recognised that the welfare of minors should be `the foundational principle`…

Addressing the digital gender gap

GENDER equality is not just a basic human right. It is also a cornerstone of a thriving, contemporary economy that fosters sustainable, inclusive growth. Acknowledging that gender equality is crucial ensures that both men and women can contribute fully to advancing societies and economies. The path forward is challenging. According…

Child marriages: LHC Judgement

THE recent judgement of the Lahore High Court in ‘Azka Wahid vs Province of Punjab’ has declared the arbitrary distinction in the legally prescribed minimum age of marriage in the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 18 years for men and 16 years for women as unconstitutional. Decades of lobbying…

The helpless help

Pakistan has many legislations for the protection of women and safeguarding women’s rights but the burning question is the implementation of those laws and delayed justice. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) approximately 1,000 women are killed in honour killings annually. These figures differ and do not…