A longtime Solidarity Center partner in Pakistan believes that solving the problems of millions of children requires a comprehensive approach directed at policymakers and the public alike.

	A young Pakistani girl works in a brick kiln. Entire families are bonded to this difficult and dangerous work by debt, poverty, and lack of educational and other employment opportunities. Photo courtesy of SPARC

Of the more than 70 million children in Pakistan, 25 million do not attend school. According to official figures, 3.3 million are child laborers, but the real number could be more than twice that high. Thousands of children languish in Pakistan’s overcrowded, uninhabitable jails, the vast majority not convicted of any crime.

Since 1997, the Solidarity Center has partnered with the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC). SPARC is one of only a few civil society organizations in Pakistan specializing in child rights advocacy. It uses awareness raising, research, and capacity building to promote legal and policy reforms that protect and promote child rights, aiming its message equally at decision makers and the public.

The Solidarity Center’s cooperation has enabled SPARC to work closely with the Pakistan Workers’ Federation and other unions and to host national conferences on topics related to poverty and child labor. The Solidarity Center also supports SPARC publications and other materials, such as an annual calendar that highlights major international events around child labor and lists specific “action points.” The calendars are distributed to government officials, SPARC coalition partners, and more than 100 Child Rights Committee advocates and volunteers throughout Pakistan.

In 2003, the Solidarity Center supported the production of SPARC’s documentary Silent Scream: Child Labor in Pakistan. The 20-minute film reveals children making carpets, jewelry, surgical instruments, and many other items. Also with Solidarity Center support, SPARC airs radio messages about the plight of child domestic workers.