Iqbal Masih: The Courageous Child Labor Activist

Iqbal Masih was born in 1983 in a poor village in Pakistan. When he was just four years old, he was sold into bonded labor by his parents to pay off a debt of 600 rupees. Iqbal was forced to work in a carpet factory, weaving carpets for up to 14 hours a day in cramped and dangerous conditions.

Despite his young age, Iqbal quickly realized that he and the other child laborers were being exploited and denied their rights. He dreamed of going to school and becoming a lawyer, so that he could fight against child labor and help other children like himself.

When Iqbal was ten years old, he managed to escape from the carpet factory with the help of a human rights organization. He was eventually able to enroll in school and became an outspoken advocate for the rights of child laborers. He traveled to the United States, where he spoke at the United Nations about the need to end child labor.

Sadly, Iqbal’s activism was cut short when he was shot and killed at the age of 12. His murder was believed to have been ordered by the owners of the carpet factory where he had worked, as they saw him as a threat to their business.

Despite the tragedy of his death, Iqbal’s legacy lived on. His story inspired people around the world to fight against child labor and to promote the rights of children. Today, his memory is honored through the Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor, which is presented annually to individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to ending child labor.

The one-hour video about Iqbal Masih’s life would cover his experiences as a child laborer, his escape, and his advocacy work. It would also highlight the impact that his activism had on the global movement to end child labor, and the tragedy of his untimely death.