Cabinet bans employing children as domestic workers

The federal cabinet has approved a bill against the employment of children as domestic help across the country, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has said.

According to details, the minister during her speech in the Senate on Friday said it will be applied once further work on the bill is finalised.

“Violence and mistreatment of children start from these households,” Mazari said, mentioning that the new bill is government’s effort to end the violence against children.

According to the new clause, any child under the age of 14 years can not be hired as domestic help. If anyone violates the law, strict action will be taken against them.

The move came after several child abuse cases were reported from across the country. A campaign was also started on social media against the domestic employment of children. The government had also faced criticism for its lack of laws on the issue.

Dr Mazari had been trying to include domestic labour by children as an unsafe line of work under this act.

Today, the federal govt took another step forward on HR as Cabinet approved MOHR's summary to Amend 1991 Child Employment Act by inserting Child Domestic Labour in Part I of the Schedule at serial no.7.

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) June 16, 2020