Children’s Rights since its independence in 1947. Access to health services, education, and life expectancy have
improved as the infant mortality rate and illiteracy have declined. Despite everything, the full realisation of
Children’s Rights is still going to demand enormous time and effort.
1. State of children
Main problems faced by children in Pakistan :
Poverty
24% of the Pakistani population lives below the poverty line. This problem mainly affects rural areas. The state of the
global markets is exacerbating an already very difficult economic reality. The first victims of poverty are children,
the weakest and most vulnerable, who see a complete deprivation of their rights: a lack of education, poor access to
health services, discrimination, etc.
Right to Health
In Pakistan, close to one child in six dies before the age of five. The nutritional status of children is very poor:
35% of them are underweight, more than 50% suffer from stunted growth, and around 9% from emaciation. Each day,
around 1,100 Pakistani children under five years old die from diarrhoea and illnesses related to water, sanitation,
and hygiene.
Access to care is a challenge in rural areas where many families simply can’t afford basic healthcare. Furthermore,
recurring natural disasters have a strong impact on the health of people as well as infrastructures.
Child Labour
The socio-economic situation of the country is disastrous and forces families to make their children work. There are
around 11 million children performing domestic tasks and working in agriculture. Other children work in the textile
industry (specifically, making carpets), construction, or even the automotive industry.
Children in carpet factories sometimes work up to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week. Very often, sleeping, eating, and
working are all done in the same place. This puts a considerable strain on their health, they work in very cramped
conditions and in places detrimental to their health. It is not uncommon for them to suffer from respiratory problems,
vision problems, or even deformations of the spinal column.
Violence and Abuse
There is a troubling increase in the cases of abuse, kidnapping, and violence towards children in Pakistan. The numbers
border the millions each year. This data is even more alarming if you consider the fact that 80% of the cases are not
reported. Abuse, domestic violence, rape, paedophilia, forced marriage, the cases of abuse are infinite, yet it is corporal
punishment that represents the most common form of abuse.
Parental negligence, the lack of of awareness among children and society, and also the absence of legal protection of
children are creating still more victims of abuse among young Pakistanis.
Sexual Exploitation of Children
Around 90% of the 170,000 street children in Pakistan are subjected to the sex trade, and it is estimated that only 20% of
sexual abuse cases are reported. 60% of young victims accuse the police of being the perpetrators. Pakistan is also one of
the only countries in the world where boys are almost more vulnerable to sexual abuse than girls.
Children and Justice
In the year 2000, Pakistan created the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) with the intention of creating an
independent justice system adapted to minors. However, this system is still very weak and doesn’t offer real protection
to minors who have problems with the law. In fact, in Pakistan, detained children see their rights violated every day:
cases of torture, abuse, sexual assault etc.
According to the NGO SPARC, the country has no justice system that is just and fair to minors. Children are neither protected nor separated from adults during their stay in prison. This influence can prove harmful for these youth, who risk following the path of delinquency and crime.
