Abstract:
In child labour, the children involved in it have social, economic and educational
disadvantages. ‘Scavenging through children’ is that kind of child labour which is
undertaken in filthy and deplorable conditions. In this practice, parents or guardians use
their children for economic gains. These children are innocent, vulnerable, and dependent
on their elders. They are without any voice or any association for their basic rights. They
are generally underfed, underpaid, overworked and exposed to hazardous environment and
extreme weather conditions which are constant threats to their life, health and growth.
They are also victims of social dislike and hate and are suspected by the people.
Consequently they become an excluded community with frustrations and inferiority
complex. They do not have opportunities of schooling, playing and recreational activities
which are imperative for their proper growth and up-bringing, therefore, they are likely to
have a bleak future. As a matter of fact, a sizeable population of children is involved in
this profession, particularly in cities. In the profession of scavenging through children,
various violations of their rights take place. None of the government departments has
taken seriously to redress this practice.
A conceptual framework of the Rights of Children is designed from the United
Nations’ Charter, Declaration of Human Rights, Covenants of Human Rights and
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to assess the violations of rights of the child
scavengers. Although Pakistan is a signatory of the CRC and the International Labour
Organization (ILO) Convention 182, yet a big number of children are being mistreated,
exploited and abused particularly in scavenging profession.
An empirical study is undertaken to have an insight of the phenomenon of
scavenging through children. For that matter, a sample of 200 child scavengers are
selected. They are interviewed to document the various aspects of this practice like causes,
conditions, exploitations, treatments, professional health, miseries, etc. However,
descriptive research method is used for the problem under study i.e., child scavengers of
urban areas of Lahore.
The thesis is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 consists of Introduction of the
topic under study, Statement of the Problem, Source, and Research Design. Moreover it
delineates Demography of Lahore the target area for the research. Chapter 2 presents
Conceptual Framework, Literature Review of the relevant material for the study and
Derivation of Hypothesis. Chapter 3 covers concepts, definitions historical backgroundvii
and various aspects of child labour. Chapter 4 discusses concepts and evolution of Human
Rights and its different theories. It also contains international movements, conventions and
laws regarding children’s rights. Chapter 5 consists of the findings of survey of the Case
under study i.e., child scavengers. Chapter 6 delineates Community Profile of scavengers
and a Situation Assessment of the child scavengers of Lahore. However, Chapter 7
consists of Conclusion some policy implications. In this chapter, a Model is also suggested
to tackle the problem of scavenging through children in Lahore. It also presents
suggestions and remedies to transform child scavengers into useful and productive
individuals.
Note: In soft copy a complete list of references appears at the end of the thesis. However,
partial lists of references are also visible after each chapter of the thesis.