Inspecting The Relationship Between Maternal Education And Child Labour: A Qualitative Case Study

Abstract Book of the 10th World Conference on Future of Education

Year: 2026

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Inspecting The Relationship Between Maternal Education And Child Labour: A Qualitative Case Study

Farkhanda Ijaz

ABSTRACT:

Child labour in rural Pakistan remains a persistent issue, influenced by socio-economic and patriarchal norms. This paper explores the specific drivers of child labour in developing countries like Pakistan. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 22 participants in rural Pakistan, I conducted a reflexive thematic analysis informed by interpretivist methodology. I developed a conceptual framework linking supply-side and demand-side dynamics to child labour decisions. The analysis identified three interrelated emerging themes: limited maternal independence, a dependent labour system and a dark patriarchal shadow of socio-cultural conflicts. These nuanced findings suggest that the predictability of a woman’s life begins at birth, shaping households’ economic behaviours in women’s marriages rather than their education. These results contribute to the field of household economics, gender inequality, regional inequalities, education, and the enforcement of law by providing empirical evidence that maintains the informal child labour market in the economically marginalised patriarchal society of Pakistan.

Keywords: Mother education, Child labour, Qualitative case study, Pakistan, developing countries