A seminar was held at a brick kiln in Rawat on Friday to mark the International Day against Child Labour, with participants stressing the need to protect children from exploitation and ensure their access to education, welfare and a safe environment.
Seminar highlights Punjab’s efforts to eliminate child labour
RAWALPINDI, Jun 12 (APP): A seminar was held at a brick kiln in Rawat on Friday to mark the International Day against Child Labour, with participants stressing the need to protect children from exploitation and ensure their access to education, welfare and a safe environment.
Observed annually on June 12, the International Day against Child Labour seeks to raise awareness about the plight of working children and mobilise efforts to eradicate child labour worldwide.
The theme for this year’s observance, “Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults,” underscores the need to remove children from exploitative labour, provide them with quality education and universal social protection, and ensure decent work and sustainable livelihoods for adults to address the root causes of poverty-driven child labour.
Addressing the seminar, speakers highlighted the harmful effects of child labour on the physical and mental development of underage children and emphasised the importance of safeguarding their rights.
Participants were informed about key initiatives undertaken by the Punjab government to eliminate child labour in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The forum was told that the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act and the Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act were being implemented to curb the practice and protect children’s rights.
The speakers said a dedicated Child Referral System had been established for the identification, referral, rehabilitation and educational placement of children withdrawn from labour.
Since January 2025, a total of 2,991 children disengaged from labour had been referred to social partners across Punjab for rehabilitation, educational enrolment and welfare support, they added.
The participants were further informed that an Annual Development Programme (ADP) scheme titled “Decent Work at Brick Kilns (2025-2027)”, approved for Rs100 million, aimed to withdraw 4,348 children from labour at brick kilns and enrol them in formal education.
The scheme also seeks to improve the working and living conditions of brick kiln workers and their families through educational assistance and welfare interventions.
Similarly, the Punjab government has approved the establishment of the “Elimination of Child Labour and Advocacy Unit (ECL&AU)” at Rs262.404 million for implementation during 2026-27.
The unit, to be set up within the Directorate General of Labour Welfare, will serve as a dedicated mechanism for the prevention and elimination of child and bonded labour across the province.
Officials said the project would develop an integrated online system and child labour registry for the identification, rescue, rehabilitation and monitoring of child labour cases, while strengthening referral and rehabilitation services.
The initiative would also enhance coordination among relevant departments through integration with government databases to improve transparency and service delivery, besides establishing a permanent advocacy platform to promote awareness of child rights and child labour laws.
The project is also expected to foster partnerships with the private sector, development partners and civil society organisations to support the education, rehabilitation and skills development of children withdrawn from labour.
