Child protection policy in Pakistan

Abstract

This thesis explores the concept of child protection from a policy perspective. I argue that concepts matter in the formulation of policies because the way an issue is thought about affects policy responses. The concept of child protection has come a long way from its origin in the 'child rescue movement' of the 1870s; however, the socially constructed nature of child protection has only been gradually realised. The uncritical acceptance of child protection imperatives stemming from the concepts of 'child rescue' and 'battered baby syndrome' has resulted in system-wide failures. The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has significantly changed the social context in which children and child protection problems are viewed and child protection policies are formulated. Such continuously evolving understandings of issues relating to children and their safety and well-being have given rise to a scholarly debate on the need of a fundamental reconceptualisation of child protection. This thesis argues that there is a need to reconceptualise child protection in a way that recognises the complexity and fluidity of issues around child protection as well as of the importance of context. This thesis establishes that such a reconceptualisation is necessary to develop effective and relevant child protection policies in varying contexts around the world. By using Pakistan as the context, this research examines the ways in which policymakers conceptualise child protection and the ways in which these conceptions translate into policies. The research uses an interpretive- constructivist methodology and mix methods for data gathering. The analysis shows that child protection problems in Pakistan include incidents of individual abuse and exploitation, but, more commonly, collective abuse and exploitation caused by broader socioeconomic and structural factors. Child protection policy-making involves a range of individual and institutional actors in the absence of a specialised national institution to cater to all children-related issues. The policy process is characterised by personalistic decision-making which highlights the importance of individual policymakers' conceptions of child protection in the policy process. The analysis reveals three major conceptions of child protection among Pakistani policymakers: 1) child protection a socioeconomic issue, 2) child protection as a religious and cultural issue and 3) child protection as a human rights issue. These findings have special significance for conceptualising child protection and formulating child protection policy not only in Pakistan, but also in similar contexts elsewhere, for global child protection policy and for theoretical debates on the concept of child protection. The analysis shows that child protection is not a neutral and/or technical activity. Rather it highlights the relative and contextual nature of the concept of child protection and the ways these relative concepts ultimately translate into concrete policies and practices. The findings of this thesis suggest that to have an effective and locally relevant policy, it is necessary to reconceptualise child protection in ways that take account of children's individual needs and rights, familial and societal values as well as national and international standards around care and protection of children.