Sindh Education Department Reveals Alarming Figures on Child Labor and Early Marriages

Karachi:The Sindh Department of School Education has released distressing statistics on child labor and early marriages across the province. According to a recent survey, the figures highlight the widespread issue of underage children being forced into work and marriage in various regions of Sindh.

**Child Labor and Early Marriages Statistics:**
– In Karachi, **2.38%** of children are engaged in labor, while **15.4%** of children have been married off at a young age.
– **Hyderabad** sees **17.4%** early marriages, and **Umerkot** reports an alarming **40.2%** child marriages.
– In **Mirpur Khas**, **35.5%** of children are married early, with **28.8%** in **Nawabshah (Naushero Feroze)** and **26.7%** in **Jamshoro**.
– **Dadu** reports the highest rate at **42.9%**, while **Thatta** has **23.8%**, **Sujawal** shows **22.2%**, and **Badin** has **30.8%** of child marriages.
– The **Tharparkar** district reports **36.4%**, **Shikarpur** has **38.6%**, **Khairpur** sees **28.8%**, and **Ghotki** reports **33.7%** child marriages.
– Other notable districts include **Tando Allahyar** at **32.4%**, **Tando Mohammad Khan** with **14.4%**, and **Sukkur** where **32.6%** of children are married early.
– **Matiari** has a child marriage rate of **29.2%**, **Jacobabad** reports **46.3%**, and **Sanghar** has **34.6%** early marriages.

**Legal Concerns:**
The survey comes as a stark reminder of the challenges in enforcing legal protections for children. Despite the Sindh Assembly passing a law that sets the minimum legal age for marriage at **18 years**, the statistics suggest that this law is being widely ignored, with many districts showing alarming rates of underage marriages.

The figures indicate that the province continues to struggle with issues of child labor and early marriages, which are deeply rooted in socio-economic factors and lack of effective enforcement of laws aimed at protecting minors. The provincial government faces growing pressure to ensure that these laws are implemented properly and that awareness campaigns are conducted to combat these harmful practices.