FEMALE CHILD LABOUR: A THREAT TO MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Child labour is of course one the biggest concern and sundry of the entire civilized world. It not only effects children physically, but also has diverse effects on children’s moral development, mental maturity and social development &adjustment. Child labour not only a
hindrance to nation’s development, but negates the provisions of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well. Though male child labourer have been focused to some extent on various platforms and podiums, but female child labourer not even been highlighted or discussed on any human right watch platforms. In Pakistan,many girl children are involved in child labour, subjected to inhuman treatment as some suffer physical abuse, economic exploitation and denial of opportunity to education. The main aim of this in hand article is to investigate into female child labour as a major hindrance in achieving the MDGs in Bannu, Pakistan. The sole objective of the study was: to find out the fact that female child labour is a threat to millennium developmentGoals in Pakistan. Research Question of this study was: to what extent MDG goals hindered by the existence of female child labourers in Pakistan?
Population comprised the studentswho were in Form Three at the three secondaryschools, as well as teachers who wereteaching the pupils studying in nine differentsubjects. From a population of about 380, eighteen Form three learners and six teachers were purposively selected while the sample consisted of18 female students, 6 from each school. To extend the findings, a double-pronged approachwas used, through interviews and observations. The researchers interviewed eighteen female form three pupils face–to–face to obtaintheir views towards female child labour. Six female learners per school were purposively selected. Theassistance of 6 teachers (2 teachers per school)was selected by means of purposive sampling.The researcher used qualitative methods for which data was collected using observations and interviews. The findings showed that lack of resources for schooling for girls, busted families and poverty in households were renowned to be a fuel for the problem of female child labour. Furthermore this article reached the conclusion that the MDGs and child labour are inter-linked causing a numerous of confronts to female child labourers in Bannu.
Furthermore female child labourers preyed to drug abuse, under-nourishment followed by health issues, midway drop out of school & early on weddings as the chief factors that hamper on the accomplishment of the MDGs. At the end, the researchers recommends that there is a dare need for the world leading and advanced nations to bring into line the International Labour Organization, connect prevailing labour laws with child rights acts especially for female children and make sure to ban all sort of female child labour below 14 years from all over the world especially in the developing and under developed nations of the world including Pakistan on top priority