Economic and Social Determinants of Child Labour: A Case Study of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

This paper identifies important economic and social determinants of child labour, taking grassroots level data on the working children of Dera Ismail Khan City of Pakistan. Working conditions and their impact on child health are also identified. The variables like fertility, adult literacy and schooling system etc., are empirically examined. The analysis shows that poverty is the main cause of child labour in the city while other factors such as fertility, family size, adult illiteracy and schooling system also contribute to the supply of child labour. The situation is comparatively less serious for female child labour, showing the importance of traditional factors, which restrict females from working outside their homes. The social system of the area does not allow female children to work outside the home. Therefore, female child labour is not wide spread in the city, which is contradictory to the findings of the national survey on child labour. Thus, national surveys do not accurately represent regional child labour by sex. The present study has been carried out in an area which is backward and where child labour is wide spread.