Street safety
THE Sindh chief executive’s resolve to address street crime is encouraging. This commitment raises important questions: are these crimes organised or opportunistic? Can traditional policing strategies alone be effective, or…
Working children
THEY are everywhere. Sweeping floors in the homes of the wealthy, serving tea at stands, begging outside shopping malls, cleaning car windshields, working in brick kilns, and tilling the soil.…
Abused at work
CHILDREN are a country’s most precious investment. But in Pakistan, poor children don’t fall in this category. Even after 75 years of existence, we as a nation have not given…
Mental health issues
CHILD labour and the mental health issues associated with it are amongst our most pressing challenges. The psychological effects of child labour can be more intense than its physical ramifications.…
Women’s work and growth
TWENTY-THREE per cent of women aged 15-plus are in the formal labour market. Much has been made of this statistic. It’s certainly among the lowest in the world. And it…
Out of tune
I RECENTLY watched Tar, a film by Todd Fields which has garnered a lot of Oscar buzz for Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Lydia Tar, a classical conductor whose past catches…
Squaring circles
THREE people, who earn around Rs40,000 a month, approached me for help recently. Their electricity bills were Rs54,000, Rs24,000 and Rs23,000. I am sure there are many more facing a…
The household worker
According to definitions of the responsibility and scope of work of household workers they may clean homes, plan and cook meals, do laundry, administer the household account books, care for…
For every child, every right
Children are not just our future, they are our present too, which is why World Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote and advocate for the…
Silent screams
Face bruised, eyes swollen, skull cracked, bones broken, burnt skin. The heartbreaking and gut-wrenching state of 14-year-old Rizwana a day after she was admitted to a hospital in Lahore. This…
