Monday 11 June 2012

NA SPEAKER CALLS FOR ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOUR



            Islamabad; 11 June, 2012: Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker National Assembly has called upon states, organizations working for protection of the child rights and individual for collective efforts to eliminate the bane of child Labour. She said that children are the hope of mankind and continuity of human species and needed to be protected from Child Labour and other abuses. She said this in her message on Child Labour Day being commemorated tomorrow throughout the globe.

The Speaker said that million of girls and boys in the world were engaged in child labour which deprived them from education, health and basic freedom. She said that basic human rights conventions guarantee fundamental rights and freedom to adults and children without any discrimination; therefore, recognition of equal status to children as individuals in enjoying their fundamental rights and freedom should be ensured. She called upon the states, organizations and individuals to accord priority and set goals and strategies and actions to improve the lives of the children and to protect them from child labour.

She said that the employment of children under the age of 14 years was a matter of great concern. She said that this is not an age to work and collect the livelihood. She said that this is learning stage for the children and to move freely to enjoy their freedom. The Speaker said that once they will get a good childhood and education they will be good citizen in future. She said that as per latest ILO statistics million of children are in labour world wide out of which large number are in hazardous work. She called for collective efforts to stop this practice.

Dr. Fehmida Mirza said that the basic aim to commemorate the child labour day to create awareness among the public that children needed quality education and proper training she called upon the parents to rekindle fond memories, create ripples in the parent-child relationship and spend time with their children to create positive memories and take part in fun activities.

The Speaker called upon adoption of benevolent and compassionate posture towards disadvantaged children so that they could have access to basic living needs rather than being forced to engage in demeaning and non-empowering jobs, early marriages, warfare and other situations impeding their growth and well being. She stressed for creating job opportunities for the underprivileged communities so that their children were not forced into Child Labour. She emphasized the need for protection of children's rights and on their and their family's rehabilitation.

Dr. Fehmida Mirza appreciated the contributions of ILO for creating awareness among the people about protection of children, harms of child labour. Dr. Fehmida Mirza called upon the provincial governments and community welfare organizations to pay special attention to the protection of children's rights and elimination of child Labour. She called for adoption of children centric policies and legislation to promote the welfare of children.

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