Latest news with #SearchforJustice
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Funding urged to safeguard children
Rights defenders have called for immediate enforcement of the Child Protection Policy approved by the Punjab cabinet. The Executive Director of Search for Justice, Iftikhar Mubarak, emphasised the need for dedicated funding to ensure that the policy does not remain a symbolic gesture. "It is essential that the upcoming provincial budget includes a clear financial commitment to child protection and welfare," he said, advocating for a unified action plan that clearly defines the responsibilities of all relevant departments. Children Advocacy Network Pakistan Convener Rasheeda Qureshi called for the integration of child protection measures into the annual development and operational budgets of all public sector departments. She also recommended the introduction of child protection budgeting guidelines to ensure equitable resource distribution and strengthen accountability mechanisms. Child Rights Movement Punjab Coordinator Mudassar Ahmad stressed the urgency of swift implementation. He proposed the establishment of child protection committees at the district and tehsil levels to localise and operationalise the policy. "The bureau's role has now expanded - it must strengthen interdepartmental coordination for moving forward," he added. The civil society representatives urged the Punjab government not to stop at policy approval.
Express Tribune
11-03-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Children's futures shattered by 2022 floods
Following the devastation caused by the heavy rains and catastrophic flooding in 2022, many people rallied to provide humanitarian aid through food, clothing and medicine for the affected families. However, no amount of aid could restore the futures of innocent children whose lives were upended. Muhammad Arsalan, a 12-year-old boy, was found working at a shop in Gulberg. Originally from Rajanpur, Arsalan had been living with a relative in Lahore for the past three years. Before the floods, Arsalan was a Class 4 student, but when the disaster struck in 2022, his home and school were completely destroyed, forcing him and his family to flee to Lahore. "When the reconstruction of homes in my hometown was complete, my parents and four siblings return, but they left me behind since I had started working for Rs200 a day," Arsalan shared. Like Arsalan, thousands of children across the country have been forced to face similar setbacks and challenges due to the impacts of climate change. The 2022 floods, in particular, decimated schools across Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, leaving thousands of children without access to education for months. UN figures further revealed that two million children did not return to classrooms once the floods had subsided. According to Nadeem Ashraf, a member of the National Commission for Human Rights in Punjab, in the aftermath of the 2022 floods, many schools in the affected areas were either completely destroyed or severely affected, due to which educational activities remained suspended for several months. "Nearly 1.5 million children were displaced as a result of the floods. The displaced children not only struggled academically but also suffered from various ailments, including skin diseases and gastrointestinal diseases. The recovery process after migration is long and difficult and the affected families, especially women and children, face uncertainty and insecurity," said Ashraf. Iftikhar Mubarak, Executive Director at Search for Justice, highlighted the fact that children, who were the most vulnerable segment of society, suffered the most from climate crises. "During the devastating floods of 2022, countless educational institutions were destroyed, and children's education was abruptly suspended. Similarly, recently, the closure of schools across the province due to the smog crisis has once again disrupted education," noted Mubarak. Mubarak further opined that the economic distress caused by climate change instigated child labour. "When parents, especially those involved in agriculture or animal husbandry, lose their livelihood, the children are often forced to work as labourers to support the household financially. Hence, the uncertainty and disruption caused by climate change can create a sense of insecurity and fear among children, affecting their emotional and social development," he added. On the other hand, Fatima Tahir, a clinical psychologist, was of the opinion that the climate crisis disproportionately affected girls in Pakistan. "After disasters like floods and droughts, girls are forced to take on additional household responsibilities, which hinders their education and development. Furthermore, limited access to resources and support systems, health risks, and displacement disrupts girls' education, increasing their risk of exploitation and abuse. Additionally, financial difficulties increase the likelihood of underage or forced marriages, which takes away the girl child's right to education," emphasized Tahir. Climate marriages have indeed emerged as a significant challenge, with 45 underage girls married off in a single village in interior Sindh during the monsoon rains last year. According to data provided by the Inspector General Police Sindh to the Sindh Home Department, 57 cases of child marriage were registered in eight districts of Sindh between 2018 and 2023.
Express Tribune
05-02-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Working women disenfranchised from childcare
LAHORE: Women's rights activists rallying on the roads one odd day of the year, vehemently advocate for equal access to the public sphere for those belonging to the second sex yet few are able to sense the futility of their efforts in a societal system, where equality in opportunity is not enough to destabilize the inherent inequity in public and private institutions which fail to acknowledge the specific working conditions necessary for facilitating women's professional growth. In a patriarchal society, where the burden of childcare falls predominantly on the mother's shoulders, a large number of working women employed across government and private institutions in the province struggle to juggle their work responsibilities with their motherly duties in the absence of adequate childcare options. While some mothers muster the courage to leave their children back home, others fall prey to the guilt of abandoning their little one and hence quit their job. Syeda Batool Fatima, a 16th grade government officer recalled the initial few months following her child's birth. 'When I had my first child in 2020, my husband was also a government employee, and there was no one at home to assist with childcare. It had become very difficult for me to bring my baby to office, especially since my job required fieldwork and there was no day care facility. Eventually, I decided to quit my job,' regretted Fatima. Another working woman, Nasreen Ahmed, who is currently employed at a government department, revealed the antagonistic attitudes she had to confront when she took her three-year old daughter with her to work. 'Even though a day care facility is provided at my office, the staff is not helpful, and I often have to leave my tasks in order to check on my daughter,' said Ahmed. 'In our society, women are largely responsible for taking care of children. While in the joint family system, mothers might have the option to leave their children at home, nowadays many couples chose to live in nuclear settings. In such a scenario, women have no choice but to bring their children with them to work and the unavailability of a proper day care facility complicates their life. Hence, many women have to leave their jobs and despite their skills and abilities, they are forced to sit at home only to take care of the children,' observed Rashida Qureshi, Program Coordinator at Search for Justice, an NGO working on gender-based issues. It is important to note that despite the amendments proposed to the Child and Mother Welfare Amendment Bill submitted in April 2019 to improve the working conditions for women, the bill has still not been approved even after five years. Speaking to the Express Tribune on the matter, Sumaira Samad, Secretary at the Women Development Department, stated that institutions interested in establishing a day care center were required to cover the building costs and 30 per cent of the other expenses. 'The Punjab Day Care Fund (PDCF) Society provides the remaining 70 per cent of funds. To qualify, an establishment must employ at least five women workers. Currently, there are 437 day care centers across 25 districts in the province, with 325 operational centers serving 16,550 children from 11,585 families,' informed Samad.
